The United Nations Mine Action community is comprised of 14 UN bodies all working towards the eradication of the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), to facilitate development and to ensure that victims are fully integrated into society.
The agencies work towards the following pillars:
- Detecting and removing landmines and other ERW, as well as surveying, mapping, marking and quality assurance as appropriate
- Raising awareness of the dangers of ERW and educating people on how to avoid contaminated areas
- Providing medical and rehabilitation services to victims, including prosthetics, job skills training and employment opportunities
- Destroying stockpiles of mines and unexploded ordnance
- Encouraging countries to participate in agreements that ban the use of landmines and other dangerous ammunition (i.e. cluster munitions)
The UN policy on Mine Action also highlights the need for assistance to mine-affected states as well as the development of national capacity in demining.
With such a multidisciplinary field, a number of UN agencies have been deployed within the areas to assist, the following lists those agencies most heavily involved.
- The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO): Responsible for the UN Mine Action Service and development of integration of Mine Action within peacekeeping operations.
- United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS): Division of the DPKO and the focal point for Mine Action in the United Nations System. Responsible for establishing and managing mine action programmes in specific peacekeeping, complex emergency and rapid response settings.
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UNDP, at the request of authorities in mine-affected countries, manages some or all of the elements of Mine Action.
- UNICEF: Development of mine risk education and victim assistance programmes.
- UNOPS: Working closely with UNMAS, UNDP, UNICEF and the other mine action partners, UNOPS is a key provider of logistical support, human resources and procurement services as well as direct project management. Links: UNOPS Mine Action Team services
For further information on these agencies as well as the other nine UN agencies that contribute to Mine Action, please visit e-mine