Resolution of the participants of the Round Table
“Prospects and Organizational Premises of Mine Action in Ukraine”

We, the participants of the Round Table, witnessing the processes and experiencing global social and political changes in contemporary world, find it necessary to

state that nowadays the humanity has faced severe ecological and humanitarian challenges of vast polluted areas of former military action containing mines and other explosive remains of war, which pose a threat to the life and health of children including the possibility of their criminal application by terrorist and criminal groups;

admit the importance of the issues raised at the Round Table for Ukraine with its copious arsenal of outdated ammunition remaining after the Cold War and the Collapse of the USSR and explosive materials grounded in Ukraine after the World War II. This dangerous ballast affects the state in terms of economic and social considerations which is proved by tragic events connected with deaths and injuries of civilians, including children and teenagers and also accidents in Artyomovsk and near Melitopol;

mention that Ukraine having chosen European way of development and being a full member of UN, has joined the corresponding international conventions and agreements on bombing terrorism prevention, conventional weapons limitation including the Protocol V on explosive remnants of war, signed in November 2003 in Geneva. Ukraine has completed the first utilization project of 400 thousand land mines of PMN type. The ongoing projects evaluate possible utilization technologies of 6 mln PMF-1 mines. Thus, certain steps towards ratification of the Ottawa convention (signed by Ukraine in February 1999) have been made;

emphasize that Ukraine has highly-qualified demining personnel at its disposal who received world wide recognition. Ukrainian specialists have the experience of participation in international programs, humanitarian demining projects and operations and area cleaning according to UN standards under the aegis of leading international organizations such as the UNO, NATO, EU, OSCE and Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining. Ukrainian mine actions strengthen international authority of the state, creates additional workplaces, first of all for qualified servicemen, retired or transferred to the reserve;

take into consideration the fact that according to the existing international practices international organizations provide funding of anti-mines activities (the UNO, NATO, EU, OSCE etc.) and also donor-countries allocating considerable financial resources on these projects. Moreover, the recipients and disponents of the allotted finance are the non-governmental organizations specializing in the anti-mines activity programs.

In view of the aforesaid we think it possible to suggest:

• accelerate the ratification of the Ottawa Convention by Ukraine, considering the opportunity of changing the donor-states in the period before the First Review Conference in Nairobi (December 2004);
• reach the agreement about the possibility to organize the General Evaluating Mission in Ukraine according the UN standards (request sent to the UN in November 2002) as an obligatory condition for further assistance in anti-mines activities and ammunition utilization;
• develop and legitimate on the government level a complex program of anti-mines activity and humanitarian demining;
• bring the norms regulating the activity of governmental and non-governmental organizations in the anti-mines programs and humanitarian demining on the territory of Ukraine and abroad, including the aspects of ammunition utilization, in accordance with international standards;
• appoint a person on the government level responsible for organization and coordination of the anti-mines activities in Ukraine;
• form an expert group at the Euro-Atlantic Integration Center of Ukraine with the participation of the representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations in the field of mine action and humanitarian demining;
• get back to the discussion about the possibility of Ukraine to get admission to the UN Trust Fund for Demining and also put forward the suggestion to the Board of the Geneva International Center of Humanitarian Demining to include a Ukrainian representative into the Board;
• provide the Ukrainian Mine Action Coordination Center with the necessary assistance;
• agree on governmental support and foundation of the Joint Mine Action Team on the basis of the Ukrainian Mine Action Coordination Center according to UN requirements from July, 2, 2003;
• appeal to the US Department of State to include the Ukrainian Mine Action Coordination Center in the Global Humanitarian Demining Movement of the USA;
• raise the subject about cooperation of the Ukrainian Mine Action Coordination Center with the Humanitarian Demining Service of the US Special Operations Command and its regional departments including those being under the jurisdiction of the United States Army European and Central Command;
• initiate the talks about the beginning of the joint operations among countries of the CIN in the field of anti-mines activities and humanitarian demining, protection of civilian victims based on existing programs and their integration into international programs;
• launch the project aimed at creating United National Register of People suffered from mine and explosive injuries, traumas and contusions from mines and explosive objects;
• reach the agreement with the UNDP about the inclusion of the Ukrainian Mine Action Coordination Center into the International UNDP MAX Specialist Exchange Program;
• organize with support of the Ukrainian Mine Action Coordination Center training for specialists on humanitarian demining at Kamenec-Podolsky Demining Center on request of both commercial and non-governmental organizations;
• authorize commercial and non-governmental organizations to provide searching and deactivation services of explosive objects including their blasting during humanitarian demining on the territory of Ukraine.

May 26, 2004. Kiev