The world observes the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, highlighting the critical role mine action plays in promoting peace, enabling recovery, and supporting sustainable development. This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action,” underscores the reality that peace cannot endure in areas where landmines, cluster munition remnants, and other explosive ordnance threaten civilians and obstruct humanitarian and development efforts.
Communities in affected regions continue to live with the constant risk of explosive hazards. Mine action restores safety and stability, allowing families to move freely, access essential services, and pursue reconstruction and development. According to Kazumi Ogawa, UNMAS Director, mine action saves lives, facilitates humanitarian aid, enables displaced populations to return home, ensures safe operations for peacekeepers, and supports long-term economic and social development. Shoko Noda, UNDP Crisis Bureau Director, emphasized that mine action restores freedom, opportunity, and the foundations for sustainable recovery.
A robust international framework guides mine action, including the Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. These agreements collectively prevent new harm, address existing contamination, and strengthen global norms that prioritize civilian protection.
Humanitarian mine action delivers tangible impacts every day. Clearance operations return land to safe use for homes, agriculture, schools, and markets. Risk education reduces exposure to danger while contamination persists. Victim assistance ensures survivors receive care, inclusion, and support. Surveys and assessments enable humanitarian and development partners to reach affected populations effectively, restoring mobility, livelihoods, dignity, and resilience.
Sustained mine action has reopened areas once considered unusable, enabled over 30 states to declare themselves mine free, restored critical infrastructure, allowed displaced families to return home, and revived businesses and schools. These achievements reflect decades of cooperation among states, organizations, and affected communities.
However, progress is fragile. Continued adherence to the Anti‑Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and the EWIPA Declaration is essential to prevent further harm and maintain civilian protection. Any retreat from these commitments could reverse hard-won gains and place communities back in danger.
On this international day, UNMAS, UNDP, UNODA, UNOPS, GICHD, FSD, Handicap International Switzerland, and the ICBL-CMC call on governments, donors, and partners to reinforce support for mine action and uphold the international agreements that guide it. Investment in mine action promotes safe movement, renewed livelihoods, resilient communities, and peace itself. Sustained commitment and adherence to global norms can continue to reduce civilian harm, support recovery, and build a future free from the threat of explosive remnants of war.
