Mines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices continue to cause death and injury, especially in situations of armed conflict. On average, one person is killed or injured by such explosive device every hour. Many children are among the victims. The use of improvised explosive devices has expanded, terrorizing civilians and threatening humanitarian actors and United Nations missions and personnel.

In 2026, the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action will be commemorated under the theme "Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action." This theme draws out the foundational importance of lands being cleared from explosive threats and communities living in the absence of fear from these indiscriminate weapons for peace to be able to prosper.

Mine action saves lives, provides security, restores dignity, unlocks land for productive use, and creates the conditions for long-term stability. It transforms hazardous land into safe, productive spaces. It enables humanitarian access, facilitates development, supports stabilization efforts, and lays the groundwork for durable peace. Investing in mine action is therefore not only a technical necessity - it is a strategic investment in peacebuilding, recovery, and sustainable development.

Background

On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

It called for continued efforts by States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the civilian population, or an impediment to social and economic development at the national and local levels.

Established in 1997, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) works to eliminate the threat posed by mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices by coordinating United Nations mine action, leading operational responses at the country level, and in support of peace operations, as well as through the development of standards, policies and norms.

History

The United Nations advocates for the universalization of existing legal frameworks and encourages Member States to expand those regimes and develop new international instruments to protect civilians from the scourges of landmines and explosive remnants of war. It undertakes this work in collaboration with interested states, civil society, mine action and international organizations.

Since the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, commonly known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention opened for signature in 1997, 164 countries have ratified or acceded to it. Advocacy by this unprecedented coalition raised public awareness of the impact of anti-personnel landmines on civilians and rallied global support for a total ban.

Article 6 of the Mine Ban Treaty provided for "victim assistance", making the care, rehabilitation and the social and economic reintegration of victims of mines an obligation of States Parties to the Convention. It set out that this assistance must meet the immediate and long-term needs of mine accident survivors, their families, mine-affected communities and persons with disabilities.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (A/RES/61/106) was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. This Convention, which referred to the Mine Ban Convention, included all persons with disabilities.

In addition to anti-personnel mines, challenges remain with respect to all other explosive remnants of war. On 12 November 2006, the Secretary-General welcomed the entry into force of Protocol V on explosive remnants of war from the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and reiterated his call for its universalization and implementation. In December 2008, the Secretary-General welcomed the opening for signature of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was joined by 108 states.

Guided by its inter-agency policy, the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA), consisting of 12 departments, agencies, funds and programmes, and with observer entities, such as the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and World Bank continue to ensure system-wide coherence in all mine action pillars and activities.

The United Nations Mine Action Strategy serves as an accountability framework for the United Nations system and participating entities, guiding efforts to prevent and address explosive ordnance threats during and after armed conflicts while supporting affected communities. As agreed by IACG-MA Principals in June 2023, this Strategy will no longer be timebound and will continue to be subject to periodic review every two years to coincide with the biennial report of the Secretary-General on assistance in mine action. The Principals of the IACG-MA endorsed the UN Strategy on 13 December 2023. The Strategy came into effect as of 1 January 2024.

Discover events around the world highlighting progress and challenges in mine action.

• 2026 Events at UNHQ and around the world

• Resolution proclaiming the Day (A/RES/60/97)
• Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction
• Protocol on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of mines, booby-traps and other devices (Protocol II)
• Convention on Cluster Munitions (A/C.1/63/5 Part II)

• Photo gallery
• Digital exhibits
• Implementation Support Unit of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction
• International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)
• Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR-JMU)