Oman

Oman is on track to release all anti-personnel (AP) mined areas before its Article 5 deadline expires on 1 February 2025. Oman’s armed forces underwent a restructuring process in 2021–22, which resulted in delayed submission of Article 7 reports to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) covering 2021 and  2022.Oman shared its Article 7 reports covering 2021 and 2022 with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) in August 2024. As of October 2024, Mine Action Review had received a copy of Oman’s Article 7 report (covering 2023), but this report had not yet been made available on the UN database; nor had the reports covering 2021 and 2022. This restructuring process resulted in improved mine action efficiency and introduced an improved database and data management practices. Oman has not submitted annual reports required by Article 7 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention covering 2021 or 2022. In September 2024, Oman shared its Article 7 report (covering 2023) with Mine Action Review and said it had also submitted it in accordance with the APMBC.

Oman told the APMBC Intersessional Meetings in June 2024 that it did not require an extension to its February 2025 Article 5 deadline and its Article 7 report covering 2023 also indicated Oman planned to fulfil its Article 5 obligations by this date.

Oman has progressed steadily over the last five years towards fulfilment of its Article 5 clearance obligations, rechecking mined area that was not released to humanitarian standards. Oman’s Article 7 treaty reporting, saw an interruption in 2022 and 2023 (for the 2021 and 2022 reporting periods). In June 2024 Oman told the APMBC Intersessional Meetings that it does not require an extension to its February 2025 Article 5 deadline. In September 2024, Oman shared its Article 7 report with Mine Action Review, which expected that it would fulfil its Article 5 obligations six months before the 1 February 2025 deadline. At the time of writing, it was not known whether Oman was indeed close to completion. however, has been sporadic, with the last Article 7 report submitted in 2021 at the time of writing.

• Oman should submit regular and timely its Article 7 reports in accordance with the APMBC.
• Oman should ensure its land release operations meet international standards, applying non-technical survey (NTS) and technical survey (TS) to confirm contamination prior to clearance.
• Once Oman has fulfilled its Article 5 obligations, it should submit and publish a voluntary declaration of completion.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2024" report for Oman.