UNMAS

10/07/2026

A milestone for national ownership in the Central African Republic.

On 7 October, the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) co-chaired the Mine Action Area of Responsibility meeting for the first time, with UNMAS support. Bringing together UN agencies and international and local NGOs, the meeting marks a step toward a sustainable, nationally led response to explosive ordnance threats.

Stronger national leadership means safer communities.



MINUSCA
United Nations Peacekeeping

10/06/2026

Expanding access to mine action knowledge and training is an important part of strengthening capacity and promoting safer communities.

We are pleased to have collaborated with the Peace Operations Training Institute on the course “Mine Action and Explosive Hazard Management: Humanitarian Impact, Technical Aspects, and Global Initiatives.”

Nos complace presentar la nueva traducción al español de nuestro curso Acción contra las minas y gestión de los riesgos derivados de explosivos: impacto humanitario, aspectos técnicos e iniciativas globales.

Las minas terrestres y otros restos explosivos de guerra (REG) afectan a más de 50 países y siguen causando víctimas civiles décadas después de finalizado el conflicto. El Servicio de las Naciones Unidas de Actividades relativas a las Minas (UNMAS) ha colaborado con POTI para desarrollar este curso, que ofrece una introducción completa a las políticas, los procedimientos y las normas que rigen la actividad de acción contra las minas en todo el mundo.

Los temas incluyen el Tratado sobre la Prohibición de las Minas Antipersonal; directrices para la acción contra las minas en el contexto de ceses del fuego y acuerdos de paz; formación en seguridad frente a las minas terrestres y REG; identificación de minas terrestres y REG; Normas Internacionales de Acción contra las Minas (IMAS) y directrices para su aplicación; asistencia a las víctimas; educación sobre el riesgo de las minas; evaluación de la acción contra las minas; y artefactos explosivos improvisados (AEI).

Obtén más información e inscríbete aquí: https://www.peaceopstraining.org/es/courses/mine-en-2025/
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We are pleased to present the new Spanish translation of our course: Mine Action and Explosive Hazard Management: Humanitarian Impact, Technical Aspects, and Global Initiatives.

Landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) affect more than 50 countries and continue to cause civilian casualties decades after conflicts have ended. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has collaborated with POTI to develop this course, which offers a comprehensive introduction to the policies, procedures, and standards governing mine action activities worldwide.
Topics include the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention; guidelines for mine action in the context of ceasefires and peace agreements; landmine and ERW safety training; identification of landmines and ERW; International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and implementation guidelines; victim assistance; mine risk education; mine action assessment; and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Find out more and enroll here: https://www.peaceopstraining.org/es/courses/mine-en-2025/

10/06/2026

Mine action and climate change are increasingly interconnected. Climate-related impacts can create additional challenges for communities affected by explosive ordnance and for efforts to address contamination.

An important contribution from SIPRI to understanding these emerging risks.

The past year has seen a weakening of the international norm against the use of anti-personnel landmines. This could expand the scale and distribution of mine contamination, with long-term impacts for affected regions. This new blog by Hana Manjušak and Dr Barbara Magalhães Teixeira explores how and landmine contamination can interact to create new risks.
Read the latest SIPRI blog ➡️ https://bit.ly/4y3U2Be

UNMAS International Campaign to Ban Landmines United Nations Development Programme - UNDP United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research

10/06/2026

As uncrewed aerial systems continue to transform the operational environment, UNMAS must continue to adapt.

UNMAS recently participated in the European Defence Agency’s Operational Experimentation Campaign (EU OPEX 2026) in Portugal, including the EUROPEAN VIGILANT SHIELD exercise focused on weaponised drones, Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS), and the specialist response required after a drone has been brought down.

For UNMAS, this is particularly relevant. Defeating a drone may only be the beginning of an incident. A downed system can present explosive or other hazardous risks, while also providing valuable information that can help identify emerging threats and inform future operational decisions.

The exercise brought together expertise in Counter-UAS, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence, and technical exploitation to examine this complete response cycle.

Participating in exercises like EU OPEX allows UNMAS to remain current with rapidly evolving technologies, tactics and operational lessons. These lessons can then inform the advice, training and capacity-building we provide to UNMAS programmes and peacekeeping operations around the world — helping ensure our support reflects the threats our teams are facing today, while preparing for those they may face tomorrow.



Exército Português

10/05/2026

Restoring Safe Access and Hope in Al Kadaro, Sudan

Restoring safe passage is the first step toward recovery for communities affected by conflict. In Al Kadaro, Bahri, the presence of explosive hazards has long hindered civilian movement, delayed humanitarian aid, and disrupted daily livelihoods.

UNMAS, in partnership with UNOPS and through its implementing partner SafeLane Global, is working in close coordination with the National Mine Action Center to conduct vital road clearance operations and mitigate these risks. This operation marked a significant milestone, introducing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology as a new humanitarian mine action capability for Sudan, allowing for more efficient detection of anti-vehicle mines in cluttered environments.

For residents, the impact is already tangible. Community members have shared how the clearance is restoring their confidence to travel, enabling safer access to schools, markets, and healthcare services. As the team systematically verifies these routes, we are helping returned families to regain normality and communities to strengthen resilience.

UNMAS remains committed to supporting humanitarian action that fosters safety, mobility, and community recovery.

This essential life-saving effort is made possible through the generous support of our donors: Canada, the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and Switzerland.



Canada’s Foreign Policy—Global Affairs Canada
EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Swissint
United Nations in Sudan

10/05/2026

UNMAS Director Kazumi Ogawa met with Major General Edward Rugendo, representing the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces and Chair of the Women, Peace and Security Chiefs of Defence Network, to discuss the growing partnership between UNMAS and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

Discussions highlighted the longstanding cooperation between UNMAS and KDF through IPSTC and HPSS, including the development of UN-recognized C-IED training, regional instructor capacity, support to African troops preparing for deployment to AU Missions, and IPSTC Mobile Training Teams supporting South-South cooperation. The partnership is also expanding to address emerging threats, including the integration of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) into C-IED training.

The meeting welcomed the establishment of the UNMAS IED Threat Mitigation Advisory Team (TMAT) Regional Office in Nairobi, which will bring specialized technical expertise closer to Member States and support sustainable C-IED capacity across East, Central and Southern Africa.

A key area of future cooperation is Women, Peace and Security, with UNMAS proposing to work with KDF and IPSTC to develop women C-IED instructors from Kenya, other African Member States and potentially other regions, addressing the low representation of women in specialized technical roles and translating the WPS agenda into practical operational capability.

The engagement reaffirmed the shared commitment of UNMAS and KDF to strengthening African-led peacekeeping capacity, adapting to emerging threats, and building sustainable national and regional expertise.

International Peace Support Training Centre Kenya. Ipstc-KENYA
Kenya Defence Forces

10/02/2026

With Deepest Gratitude
In August, UNMAS Director Ms. Kazumi Ogawa and the UNMAS team traveled through Cambodia's Kulen minefields en route to Anlong Veng, joining The HALO Trust to see their clearance work firsthand. From marking hazardous areas to using detection equipment to locate explosive remnants. UNMAS extends its deepest gratitude to the entire HALO Cambodia team for their hospitality, expertise, and unwavering dedication to making land safe again.

10/01/2026

UNMAS IED Threat Mitigation Advisory Team participated in the 2026 Global Congress on Chemical Security and Emerging Threats in Panama City brought together governments, law enforcement, defence, industry, academia and international organizations to address the rapidly evolving chemical and explosives threat landscape.

The discussions during the 4 day conference highlighted the growing risks associated with the diversion of chemical precursors for IED production, porous borders and supply chains, weaponized UAS, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and emphasized the importance of stronger legislation, industry engagement, information sharing and regional cooperation.

For UNMAS IED TMAT, the Congress reinforced the importance of connecting upstream prevention and precursor controls with downstream C-IED capabilities, including threat analysis, operational preparedness and technical capacity-building. It was also a valuable opportunity to strengthen partnerships with INTERPOL, Member States and other international and regional partners and explore more coordinated approaches to emerging threats.

INTERPOL HQ
UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

10/01/2026

Mine action is a critical enabler for peace, security, and humanitarian progress. Here’s a glimpse into a day in the life of the Chief of Mine Action in Somalia.

United Nations Support Office in Somalia - UNSOS
UNOPS

10/01/2026

⏱️ Much Faster and Much More Efficient: the Dual Sensor Detector.

What is the difference between a Metal Detector and a Dual Sensor Detector?

In addition to a metal detector in the head, a dual sensor detector has a second feature: ground-penetrating radar. If you get a signal, you press the button and an image comes up on the smartphone. That lets you assess whether it's a mine and whether the signal needs investigation.

It speeds up the process, so you don't have to investigate every single metal signal.

🎥 Paul Heslop, Senior UN Mine Action Adviser to the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team in Ukraine (UNMAS), Vientiane, Laos.



The Convention on Cluster Mu*****ns