States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty must complete the clearance of all areas contaminated with antipersonnel mines within 10 years. States facing exceptional circumstances may request an extension to their deadline.

Land Release

Tackling a landmine problem does not mean searching every square meter of a country’s territory. Instead, by using “non-technical survey” and “technical survey” methodologies, states can concentrate their clearance efforts on areas where landmine contamination is confirmed.

The ICBL strongly supports the use of appropriate land release methodologies to ensure land is released back to civilian populations in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible.

To promote such efficient release of land, amendments made in 2013 to the International Mine Action Standards set out to simplify and clarify standards on land release, non-technical survey, and technical survey. The amendments make distinctions between suspected hazardous areas and confirmed hazardous areas, and provide guidance on the use of evidence to avoid inflating estimates of contamination. They also provide guidance on the application of “all reasonable effort” in the use of evidence to plan and interpret survey results.

More information:

ICBL Guiding Principles on Land Release (2007)
International Mine Action Standards
Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining