By Mr. Bojan Glamočlija, Director of the Serbian Mine Action Center, Serbia.
The beginnings of the SMAC
The Serbian Mine Action Center (SMAC) was established in 2002, initially as a federal body within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, in 2003, by an appropriate decision of the Government, it became a republican body, first as a Government Service, and later as a special organization.
The competencies of the Center are determined by Article 35 of the Law on Ministries. The center is staffed and technically equipped to carry out the tasks assigned to it by the Law. The Government of the Republic of Serbia adopts the Work plan of the Center and the Report on the Work plan of the Center.
The first demining operations in Serbia according to the International Standards for Humanitarian Demining were organized in 2003. The Center, among other things, conducts survey of locations suspected of being contaminated with cluster munitions, mines and other unexploded ordnance, develops projects for humanitarian demining and monitors the implementation of these projects, the quality control of works, issues certificates of clearance, achieves international cooperation, takes care of the implementation of IMAS and the implementation of international agreements, conducts training as well as explosive ordnance risk education.
In the Republic of Serbia, since the establishment of the Mine Action Center in 2002, over 260 projects of clearance have been realized and prepared, funds for their implementation have been provided, their implementation has been monitored, quality control of works has been carried, certificates of demining / clearance have been issued.
The area of about 60,678,623 m2 was cleared of mines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).
Over 36,762 mines, cluster munitions and other ERWs were found and destroyed.
International cooperation
The SMAC has international cooperation with numerous entities, and one of the most important and reliable partners is the International Foundation for Enhancing Human Security (ITF), continuously dedicated to solving problems related to humanitarian demining in the Republic of Serbia. ITF supports the work of the SMAC by providing donations for training, technical equipment, survey of areas suspected of the presence of mines or unexploded cluster munitions, as well as demining and clearance projects.
The SMAC and the ITF based in Ljubljana have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation since 2011, which continues to improve cooperation.
In the previous period, through the ITF, funds for demining and clearance of cluster munitions were provided from donations from the USA (which continuously allocates funds for humanitarian demining in Serbia, including 2021), Spain, Germany, Norway, Canada, Czech Republic, EU , Ireland, Japan and South Korea.
Agreement on cooperation between the SMAC and the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) in the period 2019-2022 was signed on December 5, 2019, which provides funding humanitarian clearance projects of UXO, developed by the Demining Center.
In the period from 23-25 November 2020, representatives of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) visited the SMAC. On that occasion, the representatives of the GICHD had the opportunity to get acquainted with the problems related to the remaining mines and ERW in the territory of the Republic of Serbia, as well as with residual contamination and long-term risk management. After the visit, it was concluded that the GICHD could provide support to the SMAC in terms of training, information management in mine action, as well as strengthening regional cooperation. During 2021, cooperation was initiated in several directions, such as considering the implementation of the information management system in mine action – IMSMA Core, as well as visiting sites contaminated with mines and ERW in the Republic of Serbia within the study on difficult terrain in the field of mine action.
Participation of the Center in the implementation of large infrastructure projects in the Republic of Serbia
Due to the current expansion of construction and the need to create conditions for the safe execution of infrastructure projects, the number of requests for clearance project of the explosive remnants of war has increased.
The SMAC receives requests from the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure to develop the project of clearance of former military facilities bombed during the NATO attack, when they were transferred to civilian use from the Ministry of Defense.
Also, the SMAC implemented Projects for clearance explosive remnants of war from the area in the bridge zone near Sremska Rača and along the planned route of the highway Belgrade – Sarajevo, section Sremska Rača – Kuzmin, Project for cleaning the area on the highway – IV line of state road no. 21, Novi Sad – Ruma, “Fruskogorski corridor” as well as the Project for reducing the risk of explosive remnants of war, for the construction and reconstruction of “Port of Novi Sad”.
After the establishment of ERW clearance projects in these areas, conditions have been created for their safe implementation, which is an extremely important road infrastructure project that will contribute to regional connectivity.
According to the request of “Aerodromi Srbije” d.o.o. Nis, which is also the investor of the works, the SMAC made a project for clearance cluster munitions from the area near the “Constantine the Great Airport” in Nis, which was transferred to civilian use. The works were completed in October 2021.
Training Center
Since 2020, SMAC has expanded its business capacities and established a classroom with a training ground and a field in the Center, in order to conduct professional training and issue certificates of competence in the field of ERW protection, as well as in explosive ordnance risk education (EORE), based on professional development standards.
The classroom is equipped with replicas, exhibits and non-explosive devices of various origins, types and calibers, sufficient to conduct EOD training.
The practical part of the training takes place on the destruction site, which meets all didactic and safety standards for conducting the practical part of the training.
International trainings
In the period from 21 September 2020 to 10 October 2020, for the first time in the Republic of Serbia, the SMAC organized a training Explosive ordnance disposal – level 1 (EOD Level 1), which was fully conducted in accordance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). Within the cooperation of the SMAC with the French Embassy in Belgrade, EOD level 1 training was conducted on the basis of the Plan and program of the French company for demining and underwater demining “EOD-EX”, with the French experts, who have a many years of experience and international expertise.
On 25th October 2021, the implementation of the Project Training of trainers for explosive ordnance disposal training level 1 (EOD level 1) and level 2 (EOD Level 2) started. The project was implemented thanks to the cooperation between the SMAC and the Ministry of Defense, with the financial support of the Delegation of the European Union in Belgrade. The training was conducted in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). The lecturers were recognized international instructors who have many years of experience in the field of humanitarian demining, as well as in the field of international EOD training at all levels.
The Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) organized a regional training in quality management in cooperation with the Mine Action Centre of the Republic of Serbia, in the period from 24 November to 1 December 2021, in Belgrade. Among the participants were representatives of the Ministry of Interior – Emergency Situations Sector, a member of the Belgrade Police Brigade, representatives of the Ministry of Defense, SMAC, Mine Action Center in BiH, representatives of domestic demining companies and international demining organizations (HALO Trust, Center for the training of mine detection dogs in BiH Norwegian People’s Aid, etc.)
The Qualifications Agency has issued a Decision to the Mine Action Centre of the Republic of Serbia approving the status of a publicly recognized organizer of adult education activities for the program Training for educators of the population on the dangers of explosive remnants of war.
Organized by the SMAC, from 18 to 19 April, 2022, and from 19 to 20 May, 2022, trainings were held for educators on the dangers of explosive remnants of war for workers of the Ironworks Smederevo (HBIS GROUP Serbia Iron & Steel d.o.o. Belgrade), as well as other interested companies.
This type of training was held in the Republic of Serbia for the first time with the aim of raising awareness of the need for continuous education of citizens about the dangers of explosive remnants of war.
Also, the SMAC is able to organize trainings for detection and removal of unexploded ordnance – level 1 and level 2 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal – EOD Level 1, EOD Level 2) according to the program and plan in accordance with International Standards for Mine Action (IMAS), with the engagement of instructors from the Ministry of Defense and the SMAC, with many years of experience and qualifications in accordance with IMAS.
**All images courtesy of the SMAC
About the Author:
Mr. Bojan Glamočlija is the Director of the Serbian Mine Action Centre (SMAC), based in Niš, Serbia.
At SMAC, he manages and plans the work of the center; provides expert guidance; coordinates and supervises the work of civil servants in the SMAC; carries out tasks of European integrations; realizes international cooperation from the scope of the SMAC; provides transparency and access to information of public importance; and performs other tasks in accordance with the Law.
He previously was the Director at the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Centre in Niš. Before that, he held different positions within the Serbian Ministry of Interior, being Head of the Bureau for Emergency Management, Analytical Information Coordinator, Inspector for the implementation of professional training of fire and rescue units and Inspector for the Suppression of General Crime.
He graduated from the Police Academy in Belgrade in 2005 and from the Faculty of Law in Niš in 2008, obtaining a Master of Law in the field of criminal law.
