Ten-Year Review: Non-signatory Oman has never commented on the humanitarian concerns raised by cluster munitions or elaborated its position on joining the convention. It has participated as an observer in meetings of the convention, most recently in September 2019. Oman abstained from voting on a key United Nations (UN) resolution promoting the convention in December 2019.

Oman is not known to have produced or exported cluster munitions, but it has imported them and likely possesses a stockpile. There is no evidence that Oman has used cluster munitions.

Policy

The Sultanate of Oman has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Oman has never commented on the humanitarian concerns raised by cluster munitions or elaborated its position on joining the convention.[1]

Oman participated in several meetings of the Oslo Process, including the formal negotiations in Dublin in May 2008 as an observer, but did not sign the convention.[2]

Oman has since participated as an observer in meetings of the convention, most recently the Ninth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2019, but did not make a statement.[3]

In December 2019, Oman abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution urging states outside the Convention on Cluster Munitions to “join as soon as possible.”[4] Oman has abstained from the vote on the annual UNGA resolution promoting the convention since it was first introduced in 2015.

Oman is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Oman is not known to have used, produced, or exported cluster munitions.

Oman has imported cluster munitions and possesses a stockpile. In 2002, the United States (US) announced the sale of 50 CBU-97/105 Sensor Fuzed Weapons to Oman.[5] Jane’s Information Group has reported that Oman possesses BL755 and Rockeye cluster bombs.[6] Oman also possesses 122mm Grad-type and Hyrda-70 rocket launchers, but it is not known if they deliver cluster munition payloads.

Policy

The Sultanate of Oman acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty on 20 August 2014, and the treaty entered into force for the country on 1 February 2015, making Oman the 162^nd State Party.[1]

Oman reported that it had directed the law-making authority to create legislation that criminalized any violation of the treaty and had established a permanent committee for the implementation of the treaty at the office of the army chief of staff.[2] In its Article 7 transparency report, submitted in May 2017, Oman reported that it had taken several legal measures to implement the Mine Ban Treaty, including Sultan’s Order 26/2014 on joining the treaty. Oman also reported that it had included the treaty articles in Omani Penal Law and Military Judicial Law and ordered all military institutions to cease instruction on antipersonnel landmine use.[3] Oman has not provided any further update on the progress of its implementation legislation in recent Article 7 transparency reports. It submitted an updated Article 7 report in 2020 for calendar year 2019.[4]

Oman attended the Mine Ban Treaty’s Fourth Review Conference in Oslo in November 2019. Previously, Oman attended most of the treaty’s meetings of States Parties. At the Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November 2018, it declared the completion of stockpile destruction.[5] Oman has also participated in many of the treaty’s intersessional meetings in Geneva.

During 2019, Oman also participated in two regional meetings on the treaty.[6]

Oman is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, nor the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW).

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In November 2018, Oman announced that it had completed the destruction of its stockpiles ahead of its 1 February 2019 deadline.[7] Oman began the destruction process on 13 September 2015 and completed destruction on 25 September 2018. Oman destroyed 6,104 antipersonnel landmines in 2018.[8]

In its initial Article 7 transparency report in 2015, Oman declared a stockpile of 17,260 antipersonnel mines of Belgian, British, and German manufacture.[9] It has stated its intention to retain 2,000 antipersonnel mines for training and research purposes, and has established an implementation unit to organize stockpile destruction and clearance.[10] Oman noted in its initial Article 7 report that while it possessed an operational stock of Claymore mines, they were limited to command-detonation mode; however, Oman has not described in detail the specific measures it has taken to ensure that the mines can only be used in command-detonated mode, as has been urged by other States Parties.[11] Oman has not used the expanded Form D to provide details about the intended purposes, actual uses, and future plans for retained mines.

Officials previously stated that Oman has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines, but imported and used them in the past.[12]

20-Year Summary

The Sultanate of Oman is suspected to be contaminated by mines, though the precise location and extent of any residual threat is not known. In its initial Article 7 report, submitted in 2015, Oman declared that there were no areas in the Sultanate confirmed to be mined, but reported “many” suspected mined areas in the south, particularly in the Dhofar region.[1]

Mine clearance in Oman is conducted by the Royal Army of Oman engineers, but details of where clearance has taken place and the numbers and types of mines have not been reported. In its Article 7 transparency report for 2019, Oman provided a workplan for the release of all its remaining suspected mined areas before 2025.

Contamination and Impact

According to Oman’s 2015 Article 7 report, during the mid-1960s to mid-1970s the presence of rebel movements in Dhofar led to “vast” areas being affected by antipersonnel and antivehicle mines. After the end of the conflict in 1975, the government made significant efforts to clear the areas, but it is impossible to be sure that the areas have been fully cleared. This is due to three reasons: the size of the region (about 99,000km²); the lack of maps or marking; and the terrain (which includes mountains and valleys), with many mined areas located on steep slopes. In addition, the rain over the years may have scattered the mines.[4]

In 2001, it had been reported that the Royal Army of Oman had mapped seven zones of suspected mined areas based on historical records of battlefield areas, unit positions, and mine incident reports.[5]

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Oman is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 February 2025.

Oman has submitted annual Article 7 transparency reports. In its most recent Article 7 report, submitted in August 2019, Oman provided a workplan for the release of all remaining suspected mined areas before its Article 5 deadline in 2025.

At the June 2018 intersessional meetings, Oman promised to provide a comprehensive report at the Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties in November 2018, including all the information that was requested on demining activities since the 1970s, what was done as part of their new program, and the support that they will need to complete clearance.[6]

Mine Action Program

Oman does not have a functioning mine action program. In a statement before the Committee on Article 5 Implementation during the June 2018 intersessional meetings, Oman reported that they began implementing a national program in 2017 and are planning to set up a national mine action center but have not specified when this will occur.[7]

In its Article 7 transparency report for 2016, Oman reported that survey and clearance is being performed by its army engineers.[8]

Land Release

Oman has reported clearance of 1,700 m² in 2017 and 79,200m² in 2018, but it has not specified where exactly the clearance took place nor the number or type of mines that were destroyed.[9]

No contribution from the Sultanate of Oman was reported for 2014.

Between 2011–2013, Oman provided a total of US$300,000 to mine action in Afghanistan through the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action (VTF).[1]