Tajikistan

On 8 November 2023, Tajikistan complied with the decision at the Fourth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) by submitting an updated work plan for demining through to 2025. Tajikistan also stated that, given the lack of additional resources secured and the continuing discovery of previously unrecorded minefields each year, it expects to submit a further five-year extension request beyond its 2025 deadline. Tajikistan initiated an Individualised Approach to the Twenty-First Meeting of States Parties (21MSP). There was progress towards completing border delineation with Uzbekistan, a necessary step towards securing access to all areas that still require survey, with a treaty on the issue signed by both States in May 2024.

In 2019, Tajikistan obtained a second extension to its Article 5 deadline through to the end of 2025. Since the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) concluded its programme of support in 2019, Tajikistan has built a programme with strong national ownership and good collaboration among stakeholders. However, it has been challenging to make major progress towards completion of demining, with land release since 2019 almost matched by the amount of previously unrecorded contamination identified.

Tajikistan’s target of increasing capacity from 90 deminers to 180, as set out in its Extension Request, has not been reached, with 149 deminers deployed at the end of 2023. National operator, the Union of Sappers of Tajikistan (UST), expanded its remit from survey to include clearance in 2021. In 2023, the Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s Humanitarian Demining Company (HDC) added another team and the Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD) transitioned from weapons and ammunition disposal to demining. A joint Tajik-Uzbek commission has been working on delineating the common border since 2021, with a protocol signed in May 2024. Full resolution of this issue is a necessary step to the completion of survey of a significant proportion of Tajikistan’s mined areas. Tajikistan now expects to request a further five-year extension to its Article 5 deadline to complete clearance.

• The Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre (TNMAC) should continue to prioritise accelerated survey to reach a clear national baseline estimate of contamination, as outlined in the previous Article 5 deadline extension request.
• Tajikistan should explore all possible ways to increase national capacity to the levels needed to fulfil its Article 5 commitments.
• Tajikistan should continue working with key stakeholders to address a projected shortfall in funding.
• TNMAC should continue to develop plans for establishing sustainable demining capacity to tackle contamination identified after completion.

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