UNMAS coordinates the global mine action activities of twelve UN departments, agencies, programmes and funds in the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA). Led by UNMAS, the IACG-MA ensures an effective, proactive and coordinated United Nations response to the threat posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war through the implementation of the Strategy of the United Nations on Mine Action 2013-2018.
Coordinated by UNMAS, the IACG-MA develops policies and strategies, sets mine action priorities and monitors developments in affected countries. It advocates for universalization and implementation of international humanitarian and human rights law, highlights the needs and rights of survivors and urges sustained financial support for mine action.
At the country level, UNMAS is committed to building national and local capacity across all its programmes and coordinates activities in partnership with a range of national and local actors to strengthen mine action capacity and ensure proper prioritization of resources to areas of need.
UNMAS is also the coordinator for the Mine Action Area of Responsibility and is ‘the provider of last resort’ for mine action within the Global Protection Cluster. UNMAS engages with UN partners and NGOs to ensure that mine action is at the centre of humanitarian planning and responses. The goal is to better coordinate and prioritize mine action activities to save more lives and facilitate the safe delivery of life-saving assistance by other humanitarian actors active in providing food, health, education, shelter, water or protection programmes.
In addition, UNMAS serves as the Chairperson of the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) Review Board. IMAS are the standards in force for all UN mine action operations and are developed through a series of consultative processes involving a broad spectrum of mine action stakeholders. IMAS continue to evolve as new standards are completed and approved, and as changes are made to those already issued to adapt to changes in the operational environment.