Mine Clearance and Education

On this page:

• UN Mine Action Service
• International Mine Action Standards
• De-mining Organisations
• Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook

UN Mine Action Service

The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is part of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). UNMAS has its main website at www.mineaction.org. It coordinates mine action on behalf of the UN. This includes de-mining, assistance to victims, mine-risk education, destruction of stockpiled landmines and advocating for a world free of the threat of landmines. UNMAS often establishes and runs a Mine Action Coordination Centre in a country affected by landmines during or after a conflict.

International Mine Action Standards

These are at www.mineactionstandards.org and are now the standards in force for all UN mine action.

De-mining Organisations

A number of international and national NGOs carry out de-mining. For example, the HALO Trust (www.halotrust.org) is well-known for its de-mining and training work.

There is also a wide variety of commercial de-mining organisations.

Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook

CARE International and the UN Security Coordinator (UNSECOORD) collaborated in 2000 to produce a "Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook". (UXO is Unexploded Ordnance.) Contact mineaction@un.org or contact UNMAS through www.mineaction.org for a copy.

All your staff should be trained by a qualified mine risk education trainer before starting work in an area affected by mines or other explosive devices.

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