Current Positive Developments in Global Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and the Priorities for the Future

(Thursday 20 September 2001 Managua - Nicaragua)

Third Meeting of State Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and
on their Destruction.
Managua, 18-21 September 2001.

Mr. President, Chairs, Ladies & Gentlemen,

The ICBL and its Mine Action Working Group have called for increased resources for more and improved mine clearance and mine awareness.

Over the last few years there has been a predominant change in the modus operandi of most actors involved in HMA and perhaps in particular those dealing with demining.

This change relates to a shift of focus from a very minefield focused or related activity to an increased focus on the effects of the minefield on the affected populations.

Hence, this shift has resulted in a better understanding of the socio-economic dimensions of HMA, and in the making of methods and systems to structure demining operations as well as HMA to, in a more rational and cost-effective way, correspond to the needs of affected communities.

Subsequently, the “awakening” of the international mine action community which was initiated with the Bad Honnef discussions and has materialised in, for example, the creation of an international consortium of the NGOs and the UN, the Survey Working Group, and the Landmine Impact Survey process; a process in which communities and countries are surveyed primarily with the objective to determine the impact on the populations, as well as the location on the possible minefields (the latter being the previous main objective of surveys).

Additionally, a study undertaken by the GICHD for the UNDP (Study on Socio-Economic Approach to Mine Action) has established a fundamental discourse for future discussions on how to increase cost effectiveness in HMA.

For more field oriented mine-preventive activities, in the case of NGOs generally working at the micro level, the AMAC (Assistance for Mine Affected Communities) study and the TIA (Task Impact Assessment) process are new tools for field operator’s dialogue with affected communities and participatory decision-making processes to increase the quality of priority setting on demining tasks.

Mine action overall, is becoming strongly oriented towards community based programs embedded in longer-term development and reconstruction objectives and reconciliation efforts. HMA is in itself not a stand-alone activity.

However, the future of HMA is still dependant on the various actors ability to include and operationalise the new concepts of more “impact related” mine action. This means that new methods of demining must be developed in order to produce more “impact related” results with far better cost and security implications than today.

The potential for increased productivity in demining is well known among demining organisations. Still, the progress made is slow due to (among other things) low flexibility in existing project budgets to develop and examine the possibilities of integrating and optimising the elements in the current tool box to in a better way address the new and better founded priorities.

This implies that more flexibility as well as maintained or even increased but at least sustained longer-term commitment of funding levels must be kept.

Among major findings in the Landmine Monitor 2001, a decreased number of accidents and a substantial increase of cleared land show that we are definitely on the right track.

Mine action is today more productive than ever before. Together, the rationalisation and optimalisation of mine clearance combined with the qualitative improvement in the task selection process are visual evidence of the HMA operator community’s increased commitment.

To make this possible, substantial funds have been granted by the donor community. However, resource mobilisation must remain at the top of States Parties agendas. In order for mine-affected States Parties to reach compliance with the obligations stated in the Ottawa Treaty it is imperative that strong political will remain to provide continued support.

Landmines are still a significant threat for mine affected communities and will affect the potentials and possibilities for mine contaminated countries reconstruction and development efforts.

Landmines remain a huge humanitarian obstacle and as we know humanitarian challenges are not defined by state borders. Mine affected communities rarely have the power to themselves impact on national politics and decision-making.

Hence, mine clearance and mine action in general, are concerned with communities before states and must be needs oriented and impact assessed. Only in addressing the needs of all affected communities can we pursue our ultimate goal: a mine free world.

Thank you!