EXPLODEplus Project

 

Remnants of war, ageing, and overstocked ammunition stockpiles are constant safety and security threat to the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, including the potential loss of life and damage to the infrastructure.

The project was initiated in 2015 as a complementary and more flexible multi-donor project portfolio to support the ongoing EXPLODE Project and the overall implementation of the Ammunition, Weapons and Explosives (AWE) Master Plan. The AWE Master Plan is an MoD BiH-owned and EUFOR-coordinated mechanism for the resource of operations management of all partners engaged in establishing sustainable ammunition and weapons stockpile management system of MoD/AF BiH, as well as overall risk reduction in the country. 

Since the start of the project, over 10,000 tonnes of the overall ammunition stockpiles of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MoD/AF BiH) were classified as surplus. Over the years, UNDP has with the implementation of its projects (EUSTAR, EXPLODE and EXPLODE+) managed to dispose of approximately 56% of the overall surplus. The support was carried out through industrial demilitarization solutions.

EXPLODE+ Project

a specialised case-by-case support action to the MoD/AF BiH in the disposal of highly hazardous, complex systems ammunition deemed unsafe for future storage or prone to the proliferation of non-prospective items.

 

EXPLODE + Project components:

Disposal of remnants of war - to improve safety and security in BiH and support defence and security reform processes in BiH, including democratic governance of security and defence sectors, thus enabling development opportunities within BiH.

Safety infrastructure upgrades - for improved conditions of ammunition and weapon storage facilities as a part of establishing a sustainable ammunition surveillance management system and as a prevention of UEMS.

Results

Since 2015, Project EXPLODE+ has been funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), and the US State Department in amount of $ 7,540,175.80 in total. Over the years, these financial means aided in:

✔️ Disposal of over 1,426 tonnes of various types and calibres of unsafe ammunition and explosive ordnances;

✔️ Training of over 200 MoD/AF BiH personnel on contemporary military standards in the field of ammunition stockpile management, usage of ammunition disposal machinery at the technical workshop for ammunition overhaul and disposal in TROM, Doboj, firefighting and safety at work.

Infrastructure upgrades of:

✔️ Three facilities within TROM, Doboj;

✔️ Eleven ammunition storage facilities at ASS Krupa Hadžići;

✔️ Three facilities within the administrative zone at ASS Krupa Hadžići;

✔️ The replacement of 16 security doors on 16 ammunition storage facilities at ASS Kula Mrkonjić Grad;

✔️ Four facilities within the administrative zone at ASS Kula Mrkonjić Grad.

Follow-up Actions 

Following the successful completion of the Explode+ project, which played a key role in implementing Phase 2 of the AWE Master Plan, UNDP has continued its support to the MoD/AF BiH by launching the WASSP project in January 2024. This initiative contributes to the implementation of Phase 3 of the AWE Master Plan, aiming to further strengthen the integrated functionality of the stockpile management system and its key components.

Donors

The Federal Republic of Germany, Kingdom of Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and the Western Balkans Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control Roadmap Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF).

Impact

START DATE

September 2012

END DATE

December 2024

STATUS

Completed

PROJECT OFFICE

Bosnia and Herzegovina

IMPLEMENTING PARTNER
DONORS

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

GOVERNMENT OF GERMANY

GOVERNMENT OF NETHERLANDS

GOVERNMENT OF NORWAY

GOVERNMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA

GOVERNMENT OF UNITED KINGDOM

MPTF-W. Balkans SALW Control

NOR - MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

US Department of State

TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS

$16,162,178

DELIVERY IN PREVIOUS YEARS

2013$875,203

2014$1,592,476

2015$2,425,611

2016$1,334,863

2017$446,944

2018$1,239,122

2019$1,525,816

2020$652,782

2021$936,326

2022$853,496

2023$357,683

2024$382,843

2025$-59

Full Project information