Background
Since UNICEF began working in humanitarian mine action 11 years ago, it has supported activities in 35 countries and has taken the lead in the area of mine-risk education and also focuses on rehabilitation of landmine survivors and advocates for a total ban on anti-personnel landmines.
UNICEF Mine Action Strategy 2002-2005
UNICEF's Mine Action Strategy provides a framework for fulfilling mandates set in the United Nations policy on mine action. The UNICEF strategy cites the organization's humanitarian agenda and provides a rights-based approach for action.
In mine-affected countries, UNICEF works with and supports states, non-state actors, other UN agencies, civil-society partners and international organisations to help children, their families and communities understand how to reduce mine risks, especially through mine-risk education. UNICEF identifies at-risk populations, carries out emergency and long-term mine-risk education and supports other risk-reduction activities, such as marking hazardous areas. UNICEF is also committed to addressing problems associated with other explosive remnants of war (ERW), such as cluster munitions.
UNICEF promotes ratification and implementation of the anti-personnel mine-ban treaty by ensuring that states and non-state actors are aware of the threat of landmines and fully conscious of their effects, that existing landmines are destroyed and hazardous areas marked; that new landmines are not procured, manufactured or laid; and that services are in place for survivors—particularly women and children.
UNICEF advocates for and with mine survivors and other people with disabilities to ensure their voices are heard, rights respected, basic needs met, and that they are able to fully participate in their societies. The main role of UNICEF is in identifying needs and advocating for them to be addressed in the planning and provision of health, social, education and other services. UNICEF focuses on mine survivors' (and others with disabilities) access to services rather than the provision of those services. Among the 29* countries where UNICEF is currently supporting mine action, 11 have survivor assistance components.
In all its activities, UNICEF takes a rights-based approach to mine action, which recognises the legal and moral obligation and accountability of states to the rights and needs of their peoples, and affirms that children, women and men are rights holders, rather than objects of charity. It thus follows that they should have the opportunity to express their views, and participate in decision-making on issues affecting their lives. For these reasons, UNICEF places affected children, their families, and their communities at the centre of mine action, and encourages its partners to do likewise.
UNICEF believes mine-action responses must be integrated with political and advocacy initiatives and that initial responses and life-saving assistance should move rapidly toward medium- and long-term solutions, with an emphasis on national capacity building, community participation and community-based recovery strategies. UNICEF sees mine action as a crucial supporting element of a broader humanitarian, development and peace- building agenda. It sees coordination with other sectors as pivotal to effective mine action.
Mine Action in the field
UNICEF's main role in mine-risk education at the field level is to identify needs and to ensure—usually by working with implementing partners—that they are met in a timely and appropriate fashion. UNICEF also seeks to ensure that mine risk-reduction activities are coordinated, are effectively integrated into broader mine-action programmes.
The UNICEF Landmines and Small Arms Team (LASAT)
To support the implementation of the UNICEF Mine Action Strategy and provide technical assistance to UNICEF country and regional offices, UNICEF's Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) maintains a mine-action support capacity in its New York headquarters through the work of the Landmines and Small Arms Team (LASAT). The primary responsibilities of the team include strategy implementation and field support; policy development; planning; development of tools, standards and training (for UNICEF and other mine action practitioners); coordination and promotion of best practice in mine-risk education; interagency coordination and liaison; technical assistance to programmes, especially in emergencies; global advocacy on mines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) and the rights and needs of mine-affected communities, especially children and women; resource mobilisation.
Coordination and promotion of best practice and training
As the UN focal point for mine-risk education, UNICEF develops training and promotes best practices. UNICEF and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines co-convene a Mine Risk Education Working Group (MREWG), which comprises non-profit organisations and brings together practitioners to coordinate activities, share lessons learned, and find ways to meet field-office needs.
Last updated : August 2004
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
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