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Tajikistan Mine Action CentreUnited Nations Development Programme
121 S. Ayni Str., 734013
Dushanbe, Tajikistan,
E-mail: mineaction.tajikistan@undp.org
URL: www.mineaction.tj
Tel/Fax: (992 37) 227-0947, 221-6687
Рушди иқтидор
Tajikistan is the only country in Central Asia with a structured national mine action programme. Tajikistan Mine Action Centre (TMAC) was established in 2003 as a result of the UNDP 'Support to the Tajikistan Mine Action Programme' project. Since the beginning of the programme, TMAC capacity has been developed through the provision of training and technical assistance. Since the inception of the programme, TMAC effectively coordinated all mine action activities in the country; tasking and monitoring of de-mining operations have also been ensured by TMAC to facilitate compliance with the obligations of the Ottawa Convention Article 5. So far, Tajikistan has also complied successfully with the obligation related to the Convention Articles 4 (stockpiles destruction) and 7 (annual transparency report).
Through TMAC, Tajikistan has been very active in all international mine action fora: MBT states parties meetings, intersessional meetings of the Standing Committees, annual meetings of the national directors and UN advisors. In 2009, Tajikistan has successfully prepared a 10-year extension request to extend the MBT Article 5 deadline that was extended from April 2010 to April 2020.
Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, UNDP and Norway have been the major donors supporting the TMAC capacity building and daily operations.
As it was mentioned, since 2003, TMAC provides coordination for all aspects of mine action. The MRE and Victims Assistance (VA) programmes are undertaken in partnership with relevant national and international agencies and NGOs. TMAC independently manages clearance task orders, QA/QC, international networking and information management tasks. Clearance of mines/UXO by international and national agents including FSD, NPA, Ministry of defense’ humanitarian de-mining unit. There has been an increase in non-governmental de-mining organizations such as Union of Sappers, who are expected to play a significant role in the future of national land release and mine action.
In addition to de-mining activities, UNDP and TMAC target project activities assist mine survivors and their communities by providing access to socio-economic support, medical, psychosocial and physical rehabilitation. For the time being, and despite the primary responsibility of the health sector, in view of limited capacities of other national agencies TMAC has opted to play a critical and multipurpose role in addressing the issue of victim assistance in Tajikistan. Its functions range from planning, coordination and management, monitoring and reporting, to raising awareness and capacity building, cooperation and resource mobilization. Since victim assistance is considered to be a multi-organizational objective, and is interlinked with economic and social development, it is essential to adopt victim assistance policy into broader governmental programmes on disability, health, rehabilitation, social services, employment, development and poverty reduction.
Tajikistan Mine Action Programme has made significant progress in the field of land release activities overall, and in last two years in particular. To date, TMAC coordinated elimination of 85% of total suspected and contaminated land, resulting in destroying of 20,902 landmines, 6,766 UXO and clearing over 8 sq. km of land. 87 cleared sites were successfully quality controlled and handed over to the local authorities. During 2011 42 mine areas in 6 districts were subjected to technical survey and clearance and by the end of 2011 TMAC was able to manage and coordinate the clearance of 2,081,547 м² of land with the result being the destruction of 6,517 anti-personnel and 2 anti-tank mines, 2,255 UXOs, 1 cluster bomb, 2,6 kg explosive charges and over 2096 cartridges. After successful Quality Control (QC), 38 cleared areas with the total amount of 2,542,817 sq. m (including 11 cleared sites from 2010 that have been quality checked in 2011) were handed over to local authorities, benefiting more than 15 thousand people as well as providing a safe environment in which around 300 border solders are now able to fulfill their duties. To assure the quality of the demining activities undertaken, the team has already re-surveyed more than 500 villages within 70 communities.
Visible progress has also been achieved on the VA component. Collaboration with national and local partners enabled the provision of rehabilitation support and assistance to over 25 mine and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) victims as a result of summer camping and annual auto-training activities. Approximately 50% the mine/ERW victims and their family members were covered by socio-economic support during 2011 via the adoption of VA into the socio-economic activities of other organizations, agencies and governmental programmes. Moreover, in 2011 mine survivors continued receiving medical assistance, as well as psychological and physical rehabilitation. In 2011 the MRE Program was able to reach affected communities of 24 districts and followed up by possibility of trainees through Regional gender training on MRE, enhancement of the voluntary network for the RCST branches and coordinated annual MRE activities in 24 districts. Totally around 70,600 (85% of the indicated target) people of the rural districts have been covered by the MRE activities during 2011.
