The latest Clearing the Mines report from the Mine Action Review, published this week by Mines Advisory Group, Norwegian People’s Aid and The HALO Trust, underscores the urgent need for political commitment and funding to clear mines worldwide. Despite record progress in 2023, with nearly 200,000 anti-personnel mines destroyed, many areas still lack resources for effective clearance.
This year’s fifth review conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty offers a crucial opportunity to reinforce these efforts, including a new focus on climate impact. Marking the Treaty’s 25th anniversary, the report calls for renewed dedication to protecting civilians from the lasting dangers of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
Read the Foreword to this year’s report below and take a deeper look at the report’s findings and the path forward for mine action.
The world is becoming increasingly violent and polarized, and the international legal order is under significant stress. It is easy to feel as though many factors are beyond our control and that our actions are insignificant. However, it is crucial to remember that, especially in challenging times, focusing our efforts on what we can influence can still make a difference.
In more than three decades of survey and clearance around the world, we can, without exaggeration, say that collectively we have saved hundreds of thousands of lives and limbs. Life and livelihoods have improved for millions more. Over these years, valuable lessons were learnt, which must continue to be applied to our work. By concentrating on what we can affect, we can continue to improve the safety and lives of civilians and their communities – those whom the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty set out to protect and assist.
As of today, 58 States and two territories remain contaminated with anti-personnel mines, and the need for focused and unwavering commitment to get all of them over the finish line by completing clearance is as important as ever. In 2023, global mine clearance of 237 square kilometres was the highest ever recorded, with 192,563 AP mines destroyed during land release and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) spot tasks. While these are impressive numbers, it is important to note that only a handful of countries account for the majority of the clearance and that in more than a quarter of those with a landmine problem, no clearance is reported to have taken place in 2023. We must not lose sight of the fact that States Parties to the Treaty have the obligation under international law to clear areas under their jurisdiction or control as soon as possible and States in a position to do so also have an obligation to provide international cooperation and assistance to the affected States. We should collectively ensure that States Parties that are trying their best to fulfil their Treaty clearance obligations are not left behind and that we have a mechanism that can assist countries that are struggling to access international assistance funding. Our organisations are therefore supportive of States Parties setting up a voluntary trust fund for Article 5 implementation, that does not detract from existing commitments and supports those affected States that are really struggling to secure international funding to implement the Treaty and which otherwise risk stalling in their progress.
It is a decade since the first Clearing the Mines report was launched at the third review conference of the Treaty in Maputo, and during this period the Mine Action Review (MAR) has provided the sector with a key implementation tool, offering honest and constructive feedback that helps improve our collective efforts. MAR encourages all stakeholders to operate more efficiently and effectively. By assessing the performance of national mine action programmes and highlighting both successes and areas for improvement across a selection of key criteria, MAR has played a crucial role in holding the sector accountable and pushing us all to continuously learn and improve.
This year’s fifth review conference of the Treaty presents an opportunity to further strengthen our efforts. The conference is expected to deliver a focused five-year action plan, one that, for the first time under this Convention, will incorporate environmental and climate change considerations. These issues are becoming increasingly important, and addressing them in our mine action strategies and in the field is essential. This will ensure that our work not only mitigates the immediate threats posed by landmines but also aligns with global efforts to reduce environmental damage.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty. We want to take this opportunity to reaffirm the critical importance of international humanitarian law and of international treaties that protect civilians from indiscriminate weapons. The Treaty remains central to our work, particularly in the face of new conflicts and escalating violence. It is all the more vital since we are witnessing widespread new use of anti-personnel mines in too many countries around the world – from the Sahel to North Africa; from Ukraine to Myanmar.
Upholding the Mine Ban Treaty, is not only crucial for safeguarding lives but also for preserving international humanitarian law, as well as humanitarian principles and action, which seek to protect civilians. As international mine action operators, we have witnessed first-hand the long-term devastation that landmines, cluster munitions, and other explosive remnants of war cause, even decades after conflicts have ended. It is thus paramount that when security and humanitarian objectives of these treaties are under pressure, we multiply our efforts to fulfill our obligations and commitments.
With that in mind, MAR’s role will continue to be vital in ensuring the sector remains accountable and effective and continues driving progress in the years to come. As Advisory Board members, we are grateful to everyone who has contributed to the success of the Mine Action Review: national mine action authorities, fellow clearance operators, UN agencies, and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, as well as other partners who contribute data and collaborate with the project. We look forward to MAR’s ongoing collaboration with all mine action stakeholders as we work toward a mine-free world.
Read the full report here.
