International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2026; April 4th.

FORUM: “Invest in peace, Invest in mine action” International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2026. Mines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices continue to cause death and injury, especially in situations of armed conflict. On average, one person is killed or injured by such explosive device every hour. Many children are among the victims. The use of improvised explosive devices has expanded, terrorizing civilians and threatening humanitarian actors and United Nations missions and personnel. In 2026, the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action will be commemorated under the theme "Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action." This theme draws out the foundational importance of lands being cleared from explosive threats and communities living in the absence of fear from these indiscriminate weapons for peace to be able to prosper. Mine action saves lives, provides security, restores dignity, unlocks land for productive use, and creates the conditions for long-term stability. It transforms hazardous land into safe, productive spaces. It enables humanitarian access, facilitates development, supports stabilization efforts, and lays the groundwork for durable peace. Investing in mine action is therefore not only a technical necessity - it is a strategic investment in peacebuilding, recovery, and sustainable development.Follow the conversation with the hashtags:#InvestInMineAction; #IMAD2026, #safefuturesstarthere, #MineAwareness; #landmines; #4april; #Mineaction.

EVENTS:  On April 1st, 2026, from 17.45 - 19.30 ET, organized by the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations, at the United Nations Headquarters; a Film Festival will be held at the 1 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, 35th Floor - 885 2nd Avenue, between 47th and 48th Street New York, NY 10017 *This event is by invitation.

OPT | Watch Here

South Sudan (1) | Watch Here

South Sudan (2) | Watch Here

Sudan | Watch Here

Syria |

Watch Here

Ukraine | Watch Here

View event pictures here

WORLDWIDE CELEBRATIONS: Several Events had been organized at UNHQ and around the world to highlight the progress and challenges in mine action and to mark the International Day for Mine Awareneness and Assistance in Mine Action 2026. Demining and Mine Action is not only about removing explosives from the ground. It’s about: Restoring safety; enabling opportunities; Protecting communities; Rebuilding trust and the foundations of lasting peace It's time to Invest In Mine Action. Register to participate!

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - 3 April 2026, from (08:30 – 12:00): Official inauguration of the ANMAA premises and Open Day, to mark its operationalization. 2 April 2026, from (10:00 – 12:00): Workshop/panel discussion focused on Victim Assistance, bringing together national authorities, partners, and civil society actors. Media engagement: Radio broadcasts and awareness-raising programmes will be conducted on national stations. Visibility and communication campaign:Recording and dissemination of radio spots during the week of 23 March 2026 Public billboards/display panels across Bangui from 30 March to 27 April 2026

COLOMBIA, On 4 April Start of  the MAC's digital campaign.

8 April -  Panel discussion and photo exhibition (pillars of Mine Action) for National Day of Remembrance and Solidarity with the Victims of the Armed Conflict. Initiative of two NGOs of the Mine Action sector.
10 April - Event and exhibition regarding 4 April, co-organized by the national mine action sector and UNMAS.
Commemorative Gathering: Memory and Action Against Anti-Personnel Mines, a solemn space for reflection, recognition, and awareness about the humanitarian impact of these devices in Colombia.
15 April -  Launch of our technical paper on weaponized drones, event at UN House.
Launch date tbd
Relaunch of UNMAS-led radio and social media campaign on humanitarian access to promote humanitarian access and respect for the work of mine action organizations in Colombia.

IRAQ - 1- Photo exhibition in collaboration with the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA) in Erbil. 2- Publishing the UNMAS Iraq Annual Report. 3- "Thank you" social media campaign to our donors.

SOMALIA  - Interactive Mine Awareness Event inside UNSOS Camp (5 April): Since 4 April falls on a Saturday, we will host an interactive showcase at the UNSOS camp on Sunday, 5 April (10:00 am – 3:00 pm). Supported by a mission-wide broadcast, our teams will demonstrate mine action tools and share expertise on our mandate. Watch how explosive detection dogs work silently and precisely, saving lives everyday in Somalia.

SOUTH SUDAN - On Thursday, 2 April 2026  from 09:00 to 12:00 at the  Pyramid Hotel, Juba, join the commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

EXHIBIT: Explore the Digital exhibition entitled'' Signs of Safety''.

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the  International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2026; April 4th.

Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices exact a devastating toll on civilians, especially children. As conflicts multiply and military spending skyrockets, these dangers are deepening.

These weapons do not disappear when the fighting is over. They lurk in fields in Colombia, Ethiopia, Lebanon and Myanmar; amid the rubble in Gaza; and in communities across Syria. They kill thousands each year and injure a great many more – often long after conflict ends.

Mine action plays a critical role in places where peace is fragile, the humanitarian response urgent, and development precarious. It allows the UN and its partners to work in greater safety and enables ravaged communities to recover and rebuild.

On this International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, I call on all Member States to join and adhere to the relevant instruments – including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention – and urge those that have withdrawn to rejoin. Failing to preserve these vital instruments will only weaken civilian protections and add to the 100 million innocent lives already in peril.

This year’s theme – “Invest in peace, Invest in mine action” – highlights the need to accelerate mine clearance, enhance risk education, expand victim assistance, reduce weapons stockpiles and advocate for a mine-free world.

We must eradicate the threat posed by these weapons – so all people everywhere can live in safety and with hope.

United Nations Secretary-general.

PRESS CONFERENCES: With the UNMAS representatives on International Mine Awareness Day 2026 and UNMAS work going on in Ukraine and Afghanistan and beyond.

00:35:43

Press Conference by Kazumi Ogawa, Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), Paul Heslop, UNMAS Special Adviser to the Resident Coordinator and United Nations Country Team in Ukraine (both in-person) and Nick Pond, Chief of Mine Action Section for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) (virtual from Kabul), on the International Mine Awareness Day 2026 and the work going on in Ukraine and Afghanistan and beyond.

 

Ethiopia & Sudan: Mine Action - Press Conference at the United Nations Headquarters - A UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) spokesperson said, “There are many crises in the world today that are taking up attention and resources, but neglecting countries on the path to peace will result in them sliding back to war.” Rob Syfret, Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme in Ethiopia, and Mohammad Sediq Rashid (joining virtually from Khartoum), Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme in Sudan, addressed the press in New York. Syfret said, “Ethiopia at the moment, risks becoming the forgotten post conflict. There are many crises in the world today that are taking up attention and resources, but neglecting countries on the path to peace will result in them sliding back to war.” He continued, “The fighting left areas of the country littered with explosive remnants of war that continue to kill and maim civilians four years after the Pretoria agreement ended the conflict. The resources that required to solve the problem are ebbing away and being directed to more high-profile current events as the crisis caravan moves on to follow the headlines.” He stressed, “Ethiopia is the largest country in the Horn of Africa, and if it falls into conflict again there will be a vast region of instability stretching from the Red Sea to the borders of Egypt, Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Kenya. Some resources need to be focused on trying to prevent this. And what better way than by removing and destroying explosive remnants of war so they cannot be converted into IEDs, so they cannot be repaired and put back into service as weapons of war?” He added, “Humanitarian mine action has proved that there is the capability to solve this problem if the funds to employ people to do the work are available. In areas contaminated with explosive ordnance, it is foundational to almost every single one of the Sustainable Development Goals to clear it. Yet, time and again, it becomes the forgotten problem, a specialist issue that is easier to ignore than to understand.” He concluded, “My counterparts in the Ethiopian mine action office are doing a fine job but continue to need our support.” Mohammad Sediq Rashid, Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme in Sudan, said that the scale and nature of contamination in the country is alarming, “because this war is fought in the cities.” He added, “As families begin to return, they are doing so into a highly dangerous environment, often without awareness of the risks.” He also said, “The conflict is ongoing, and in many areas, intensifying. The continued use of heavy weapons, including unmanned aerial systems. This means contamination is increasing day by day.” He said, “We estimate that around 14 million people are at risk from explosive hazards. This includes civilians, returnees and humanitarian workers.” He concluded, “Sudan was already dealing with legacy contamination from decades of conflict. The current war is adding a new and complex layer of contamination across densely populated areas. On our response, the mine action program has been severely impacted by the conflict, including the loss of critical equipment. It had one stage last year, the program faced the risk of shutting down due to funding constraints, while the response is now gradually regaining momentum, it remains far below what is required.” Established in 1997, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) leads, coordinates, and implements projects and programmes to mitigate the threat posed by explosive ordnance. In recent years, UNMAS has supported and continues to provide assistance in Abyei, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, the State of Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, the Territory of Western Sahara and Yemen.

Mines and explosive devices kill or injure a person every hour. Many of them are children. I urge States to accede to or rejoin the Ottawa Treaty and invest in Mine Action to protect communities, support survivors, and rebuild lives. Mr.Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

COMMUNICATION MATERIALS:  Get the poster and the IMAD 2026 Digital Assets.