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Landmines and Other Explosive Remnants of WarAnti-personnel landmines and other explosive remnants of war are serious obstacles to sustainable development in over eighty countries, including many of the world's poorest. There is often no record of their location, particularly after civil wars. As a result, landmines continue to have tragic effects many years after armed conflict has ended. They cause some 20,000 casualties each year, mostly civilians and many of them children. Landmines also compound refugee problems; they lay waste to large tracts of potentially productive land, and restrict transport and communication. They deprive affected populations of basic needs such as water and access to markets to sell their produce. The continuing need to care for and rehabilitate landmine survivors also places great strain on local health care services. Mine Ban ConventionAustralia was one of the original signatories of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (also known as the Mine Ban Convention) in 1997. The convention obliges countries to clear landmines on their territory, and set up a framework for international assistance. It sets out five pillars of mine action:
Australia passed legislation in 1998, giving effect to the Mine Ban Convention under Australian criminal law. A year later, Australia destroyed its stockpile of anti-personnel landmines, years ahead of the deadline agreed to under the Convention. Australia also helped develop the Nairobi Action Plan 2005-2009. The plan reconfirmed international priorities, focusing on the five pillars of mine action, and identifying 70 actions to continue to work towards a mine-free world. In March 1998 the Australian Government created the position of Australia's Special Representative for Demining as part of the portfolio responsibilities of the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Now known as the Special Representative on Mine Action, the position works towards achieving Australia's commitment to mine action. Australia's Special Representative for Demining is also responsible for encouraging effective global coordination of international donors on mine action. Australia will continue to take a leading role in advancing international mine action when it takes up the role of the President of the Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention in September 2006. Mine action through Australia's aid programMine action is an important part of Australia's overseas aid program. Australia is a leading contributor to international mine clearance efforts, survivor assistance, mine risk education and integrated mine action programs that help survivors rebuild their livelihoods. This assistance focuses on the heavily mine affected countries of the Asia-Pacific region. Soon after signing the Mine Ban Convention, Australia committed $100 million to mine action over 10-years. In July 2005 Australia committing a further $75 million for mine action over another five years. The renewed pledge will enable Australia to broaden its mine action efforts to include more advocacy work and increased support for survivor assistance and mine risk education. It will also enable funding for partnerships with Australian and multilateral agencies and community groups to combat the continuing threat posed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war. Australia has developed a five-year Mine Action Strategy (2005-2010) that describes Australia's approach to mine action over the duration of the renewed pledge. The strategy aims to reduce the suffering and socio-economic impact caused by landmines and other explosive remnants of war. It focuses on helping survivors (including integrated mine action), mine risk education and mine clearance. The strategy also reaffirms Australia's aim to encourage other countries to adopt the Mine Ban Convention and destroy remaining stockpiles of landmines. Examples of Australian mine action activitiesAdvocacy and universalisation of the Mine Ban ConventionAustralia provides funding to organisations that undertake activities contributing to universalising the Mine Ban Convention. Australia provides funding support to the Implementation Support Unit of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), which fulfils a secretariat role for the Mine Ban Convention. Australia also provides regular funding to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) to publish the annual Landmine Monitor Report. This report summarises the progress made in implementing the Mine Ban Convention, including information on mine action efforts, landmine casualties and survivor assistance and mine action funding. Survivor assistance
Cambodian National Volleyball League (Disabled) compete in Phnom Penh. Photo: Kevin Evans One organisation supported through the fund is the Cambodian National Volleyball League for the Disabled (CNVLD). The CNVLD gives landmine survivors the opportunity to reclaim their place in the wider community through re-discovering the joy of physical exercise, teamwork and friendship. In Vietnam, landmine survivors receive help through a project designed to strengthen peer support networks set up by the Landmine Survivors Network Vietnam. The Peer Support Network model used by Landmine Survivors Network is one whereby survivors help survivors. Australia funded the publishing of two documents dealing with survivor assistance - 101 Great Ideas for the Socio-Economic Reintegration of Mine Survivors and Landmine Victim Assistance in 2004: Overview of the Situation in 24 States Parties. An Overview report is also under preparation. Integrated mine actionIn Cambodia Australia has supported several integrated mine action programs such as the recently completed CARE Integrated Demining and Development Project (IDDP). This IDDP worked with villagers on agricultural programs, water and sanitation projects, community and institutional capacity building, infrastructure, village mapping, and land tenure. Building on the success of the CARE project and other integrated mine action projects completed by World Vision and AUSTCARE, Australia is supporting the design of three new integrated mine action activities for heavily mined areas of Cambodia. Mine risk education It also aimed to improve the ability of teachers, Lao Youth Union, education officials and local communities to carry out UXO awareness activities. Leaflets explain to children what to do when they see an unexploded device Mine clearanceAustralia is funding a new community-based UXO clearance program in Laos. Swiss non-government organisation Fondation Suisse du Deminage will deliver the program in collaboration with the World Food Programme. This program will increase the capacity of communities to deal with unexploded ordnance by training and employing locals to clear UXO in four heavily contaminated provinces. In Cambodia, Australia supports the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. The centre carries out landmine clearance, minefield surveying and marking and mine awareness activities. Australian support is helping develop an approach to mine clearance that better integrates national, provincial and local development plans. In Sri Lanka the Sri Lanka National Mine Action Programme was set up to accredit, license, coordinate and monitor all mine action activities, ensuring that funding targets the highest priority areas for resettlement and rehabilitation. Progress so far:
While we have achieved much, an estimated 60 to 70 million landmines remain, causing around 15,000 to 20,000 new casualties each year. Further informationFor further information on Australian mine action see:
Useful external links
Photo top: Female deminer in Cambodia looks for landmines. 2007
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In Cambodia, Australia has established a Land Mine Victim Assistance Fund. The fund supports Cambodian non-government organisations that help in the physical, psychological and socio-economic rehabilitation and reintegration of landmine survivors.
Australia has been a major supporter of unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance in Laos over the last decade. Recent activities include a UNICEF project to reduce the risk of UXO accidents among families and children. 
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