MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' mine clearance study to begin December

A top line UK university will submit next February a report related to the feasibility study on the clearance of land mines in the Falkland Islands, was jointly announced by Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The Cranfield Mine Action unit (CMA) belonging to Cranfield University was formed in March 1999 to support the work of UK Government Departments and the United Nations in the field of mine action.

CMA has been tasked with a field survey on the Falklands to be carried out in December 2006 and monitored by two experts from Argentina and the UK, points out the release from the Joint Working Party following its twelfth meeting in early November.

"The tasks requested of Cranfield University by the contract funded by both Governments will include a field survey on the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas to be carried out in December 2006 and monitored by two experts from each country. Cranfield University will then submit a report to the JWP in February 2007".

"Between 2 and 3 November 2006, the Twelfth Meeting of the JWP for carrying out a Feasibility Study on the clearance of land mines in the Falkland Islands was held in Paris with the participation of diplomats and experts of the United Kingdom and the Argentine Republic".

The Representative of the Argentine Government, Minister Guillermo R. Rossi, signed a contract with Cranfield University, represented by Alastair McAslan, whose offer had been previously selected by the JWP and approved by the British and Argentine Governments, in order to carry out certain tasks of the Main Study of the Feasibility Study.

The meeting took place in accordance with the understanding recorded in the Exchanges of Notes of 11 October 2001 and of 3 August 2006, and is covered by the formula on sovereignty included in those notes.

Cranfield Mine Action's staff includes mine action professionals, management trainers, research officers and administrators. The highly skilled team brings together experience from academia and from the mine action world. It also draws on expertise of mine action practitioners through close links with former students and technical advisors working in the field.

Alastair McAslan, who signed the contract on behalf of Cranfield University, is the Director of Cranfield Mine Action and has recently left the Army. Over the past five years he has been involved in the development of policy, strategic planning and improved mine action operational procedures at the United Nations in New York and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining. He is an expert on the relationship between landmine contamination and environmental security, and the role of the armed forces in support of humanitarian demining. He was Project Director of the United Nations review and revision of international mine action standards.

In accordance with the agreement between the UK and Argentina the team will be accompanied by four monitors: the UK monitors will be Lt Col Robin Swanson from the Ministry of Defence and Capt Iain Lamont from the Royal School of Military Engineering and the Argentine monitors, Retired Colonel Lauria and Retired Naval Captain Enemark who have both worked on International Humanitarian Law and Demining issues.

The group carrying out the feasibility study and the monitors will visit the Falkland Islands from 1-23 December. The JSEOD team, based at Hillside Camp, will accompany them and work closely with them during their visit here.

JWP also agreed to move forward on several tasks during the intersessional period with a view to fulfilling the shared commitment to carry out the Feasibility Study in the light of the obligations of the Ottawa Convention (on anti-personnel mines).

The next meeting of the JWP will take place in February 2007, in London.