...mine action refers to activities which aim to reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of mines and unexploded ordnance...
History of mine action in Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to the Dayton peace agreement, the former opposing sides were obliged to remove all minefields and, as part of that agreement, all parties were required to deliver all minefield records within four months. A large number of the minefield records delivered were not usable. They simply did not contain all the relevant information necessary to determine the exact location of mines. Many were not filled out properly, and it was clear that the records were not complete. By various estimates, the 18,600 minefield records represented only 60% of the total --- only a fraction of the possible mine-contaminated area. It soon became obvious that Bosnia and Herzegovina is the country with the highest percentage of mine-contaminated area in the region. Recognizing that it was not possible to meet the obligations and remove all the minefields, and realizing the scope of the mine-contamination problem in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina asked for help from the United Nations in January 1996. United Nations Mine Action Centre (UNMAC) was established on the same year, devoted only to the mine problem. That was the first significant step, establishing a necessary structure for coordinated and continuous mine action activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
UNMAC took over the minefield records from all parties and obtained the Bosnia and Herzegovina minefield database from SFOR. The process of training of a national staff began, mainly for quality assurance and mine clearance. Bearing in mind that de-mining in Bosnia and Herzegovina would be a long-term process, the UN established the creation of a national structure to lead the process as the priority. This direction commenced with the conclusion of the London conference in December 1996.
Long-term obligations of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Government were defined at the London conference. As a result, Council of Ministers appointed the Demining Commission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a national mine action structure was established. Mine action programs all over Bosnia and Herzegovina were to be executed through entity-level Mine Action Centers and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center.
National structure took over the responsibility for mine action activities on July 1 1998, with the financial, technical and advice-giving support from UNDP.
By the adoption of the Demining Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2002, a legal framework for conducting humanitarian de-mining operations was created. The responsibility and the authority for mine action activities implementation now rests on the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Ministry shall ensure that the Law is implemented, through the Demining Commission and Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre. A long term De-mining Strategy was created on the same year as well as the new unique BHMAC structure. Please see www.bhmac.org
In the accordance to the Mine Action Law mine action structure is established at three levels. First level represents the technical operational body - Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center or BHMAC. BHMAC is responsible to verify and accredit the mine action organisations, identify and prioritize the mine clearance tasks, insure that the quality of operations are in the accord to the national mine action standards, coordination of activities, for mine risk education, data base maintenance etc. BHMAC's operations are supervised by the Demining Commission that respresents the central bosy of the mine action structure in BiH that is established by the Council of Ministers decree.
Commission is consisted of three members that are responsible to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at international and local mine action conference, report to the Council of ministers and international donors for mine action activities in country, approve BiH mine action standards, approve internal affair regulations for BHMAC operations etc. The Demining Commission is responsible to report to the Ministry of civil affairs that at the same time represent the third and the highest level of the mine action structure in BiH.