Since 2015, 4 April has been the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

In the week leading?up to it,?the?mine?action community, led by the 51³Ô¹Ï Mine Action Service (UNMAS), will?roll out?activities?across the globe?to raise awareness and to seek assistance for?mine action work.?

In 2020, despite the?pandemic:

  • thousands of explosives were found and destroyed

  • hundreds of thousands of square meters of land were made safe and put to productive use

  • millions of people living in, or returning to, contaminated areas, were provided with explosive ordnance risk education, incorporating, in many cases, lifesaving World Health Organization COVID-19 prevention guidance

This year, the?51³Ô¹Ï will promote?mine action by?highlighting?how "Perseverance, Partnership,?and?Progress¡±?have carried the sector through this challenging year.?

A?multi-media exhibition of the same?name will?open on 31 March?on the?UN?Exhibits page, which will display the exceptional photography and videography?until 15 May.?

Last week, Beyond Square Meters Cleared: Mine Action and Development,?a high-level Development Dialogue?convened?by?UNDP, brought together world leaders in the field of mine?action and?development.??

On 8 April, the Security Council, under the Presidency of Viet Nam,?will hold an open debate?to consider?Mine action and sustaining peace: Stronger partnerships for better delivery. The?debate, which will include?an?intervention?by?the Secretary-General,?will?put the spotlight on mine action at the highest level.?

On 16 April civil society organizations will address the United States Congressional Unexploded Ordnance/Demining Caucus. This event aims to?update?members of?the U.S.?Congress and their staff about the humanitarian dangers of?unexploded ordnance?and the successes of U.S. demining?programmes?around the world.?

The 51³Ô¹Ï Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and Explosive Hazards, Daniel Craig,?will address?the Caucus?through a video message.??

UN mine action?programmes?from Viet Nam to?Afghanistan, Somalia to?the?Central African Republic, Libya?to?Colombia,?will mark?the?International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action?in innovative ways.

A list of?events?will be available in the ¡°Perseverance, Partnership, Progress¡± multi-media exhibition.

Check it out next week.??