GEORGIA: HALO TRUST'S CLEARANCE ACTIVITIES TO

UNCLAS TBILISI 000056

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PARM PGOV PREF SOCI GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: HALO TRUST'S CLEARANCE ACTIVITIES TO
CONTINUE


1. (SBU) Summary and comment. A $4 million, USG-funded
project being implemented by HALO Trust, a British demining
NGO, for training, risk education, surveying and clearance
operations in the Gori-Tskhinvali corridor and Abkhazia is
back on track after a Georgian regulation threatened to
derail it. In December, HALO learned of an administrative
requirement of the Ministry of Economic Development that
could have led to an immediate cessation of their clearance
work. HALO Trust raised its concerns with the relevant
ministries. The Ambassador sent a letter to the Minister of
Economic Development requesting a modification to the
requirement for NGO's engaged in humanitarian work to allow
HALO's work to continue unimpeded. In January, HALO informed
poloff that they had come to an agreement with the Ministry
that permitted HALO to maintain its activities, and credited
the Ambassador's letter as essential in reaching this
agreement. HALO's activities enhance the safety of the
Georgian people, allow for the return of displaced
populations, improve citizen confidence in the government and
restore livelihoods in these regions, making it vital that
HALO's work continue unhindered. End summary and comment.


2. (SBU) In December 2008, HALO Trust informed the embassy of
a decree issued by the Ministry of Economic Development's
Transport Authority, Article 9, paragraph 31, subparagraph C
of the rules on transportation, stating that transportation
of an especially dangerous substance, which includes
explosives and radioactive substances, is permissible only
with the escort of the protection police of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs. The decree further stated that the vehicle
of transport must have proper painting and be equipped with
special devices such as a loudspeaker, projector and special
siren. The explosives that HALO Trust uses for the purposes
of humanitarian demining and clearance operations were
included in the category of dangerous substances covered by
this decree.


3. (SBU) HALO Trust reported to poloff that no other country
that they operate in requires such an escort for the
transport of explosives and requested support. According to
HALO Trust, the norm for mine action is that operators are
accredited to store, transport and use explosives by a
National Mine Action Authority (NMAA). However, as of yet,
there is no NMAA in Georgia, and the country is not set up
administratively to handle humanitarian demining. With HALO
clearance teams working at a minimum of five different sites
every day and employing mobile survey and clearance teams,
hiring escorts from the State Protection Service, if they
were even able to provide them, would have been extremely
cost prohibitive.


4. (SBU) After HALO began discussions with the appropriate
ministries, the Ambassador sent a letter to the Minister of
Economic Development, per HALO Trust's request, asking for a
modification to the decree that exempted small quantities of
explosives for the purposes of humanitarian demining. HALO
Trust reported to poloff in early January that a member of
its national staff met with officials from the Ministry of
Economic Development and reached an agreement allowing HALO
Trust to continue its activities, while the Ministry began
the process of amending the decree as requested. The
Ambassador's letter was cited as essential to the successful
resolution of the issue.
TEFFT