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Protecting Lives. Building Peace.
International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 2024 #IMAD2024
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 every hour. Many children are among the victims. The use of improvised explosive devices has expanded, terrorizing civilians and threatening humanitarian and peacekeeping missions and personnel.
Disabled survivors of explosive hazards, and all people with disabilities living through conflicts, is the focus of the 2024 commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (4 April). The United Nations has called for a greater responsiveness to the needs and rights of all people with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding settings. The 2024 campaign will bring attention to the five-year anniversary of Security Council resolution 2475, which calls upon Member States, and specifically Security Council members, to consider and protect persons with disabilities; to ensure they have access to assistance, and to include them in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
Events at UNHQ
Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Thursday, 4 April 2024, 12.00 - 1:00 p.m.
The leadership of UNMAS and other guests attended the Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Exhibition in New York
Tuesday, 4 April 2024, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
UNMAS opens a multi-media exhibition themed “Witnessing a Way Forward: Protecting Lives. Building Peace.” The exhibition's walls will utilise images and interviews of people affected by UXO and conflict-related injury and trauma around the world, and spotlight impactful projects designed by and with these communities. The exhibition will highlight the need for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2475 (2019), which calls on all Member States and Council members to take into account the needs of persons with disabilities in conflict situations. The exhibit is in the Lobby of Visitor's Centre of the United Nations General Assembly Building in the Visitor’s lobby near the information desk for visitors, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Giles Duley, the United Nations Global Advocate for persons with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding situations, will share stories of the people he has spent time with over the last decade, in his legacy of war documentation, through stories, photos and films. On the 4 April Giles will open the photo/audio exhibition “Witnessing a Way Forward” in a public “fireside chat” with Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming. Over the next week we will bring you more stories from the occupied Palestinian territories, Rwanda, Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere.
“Leave no one behind”, the goal of the 2030 Agenda, and as disability rights activists have stated for decades, “Nothing about us, without us”. Join the 2024 campaign to put the needs and rights of persons with disabilities front and center in our peace & security deliberations, mandates, aspirations, vision and mission.
Events Around the World
UN Partners
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP in Ukraine has opened a photo exhibition in Kyiv called “Defining Futures: People, Tech and Teams for a Mine-Free Ukraine” by photographer Giles Duley, the United Nations Global Advocate for people with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding situations.
The exhibition, which is a joint project by the UNDP and the Legacy of War Foundation, is dedicated to the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance, which is marked on April 4. It aims to raise awareness about mine action and mine victim assistance in Ukraine through featuring a mosaic of experiences – from those of a professional deminer and a war veteran, to those of a medical worker and a technical innovator.
Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, photographer Giles Duley said its purpose was to inspire action to improve the mine-contamination situation in Ukraine.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
In a world where conflict and violence continue to exist across many communities, UNOPS marked the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Landmines and explosive remnants of war directly threaten millions of people caught up in armed conflicts around the world. This monumental challenge requires collaboration and cooperation across the UN System and beyond. UNOPS recommit our support to all efforts to support our Mine Action partners and protect civilians. Learn More.
Abyei
On 4 April in Abyei, UNISFA set up an interactive exhibition area about the "Prize Survey" and invited the staff to the "Show and Tell" event. They will be presenting a skit on explosive ordnance risk education to raise awareness about the dangers of explosive ordnance. Additionally, there will be live music and an award ceremony to recognize the most meaningful answers to the “Prize Survey”.
Afghanistan
The IMAD commemorations in Afghanistan will be led by the Directorate for Mine Action Coordination (DMAC) and the mine action implementing partners on 4 April in Kabul. UNMAS and other key stakeholders will participate in the event. On the day around 100 deminers along with their technical equipment including (metal detectors, visors, and armor jackets) will be displayed/ paraded. There will also be an exhibition area for demining equipment, risk education and victim assistance.
Azerbaijan
“Providing lifesaving risk education will continue to be a priority for UNICEF in the coming years,” says Saja Farooq Abdullah, UNICEF Representative in Azerbaijan. “No child should ever be at risk when coming home from school, walking in the park or having fun outdoors. We will continue our critical risk education programmes in areas where needs are the highest, raising awareness of risks and life-saving safety rules in schools and communities, as well as providing mental health and psychosocial support services.” Read story: The lingering impact of landmines on children and families in Azerbaijan.
Burkina Faso
On 4 April, to celebrate the International Day for Mine Action, UNMAS in Burkina Faso with the national commission, has organized a panel involving governmental actors, NGOs and donors to discuss the Improvised Explosive Devices threat and the actions to be taken, in particular to assist IED victims. Learn More and Watch it.
Colombia
On 3 April, UNMAS Colombia will host the Forum and exhibition themed "Protecting Lives, Building Peace'' at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Jaime Hoyos Auditorium, to discuss "The Contributions of Mine Action to Peacebuilding in Colombia." This event will be accompanied by a thematic exhibition in which the organizations of Humanitarian Demining, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education and VA will present samples of the work they carry out in the communities, and will include an exhibition of the Museum of Improvised Prosthesis of the CIREC Foundation, pieces that have been collected from APM victims who have generated handmade prosthesis after their accidents.
Participated in the social media campaign "Protecting Lives, Building Peace" (In Spanish) and was adopted by the 16 humanitarian organizations that make up the The Mine Action Area of Responsibility (MA AoR).
Additionally, five UNMAS humanitarian coordinators present in the departments of Cauca, Córdoba, Chocó, Nariño and Valle del Cauca, have arranged with the regional governors to carry out activities aimed at landmine survivors. These local authorities will also disseminate the messages of the campaign agreed in the MA AoR.
Central African Republic
UNMAS in the Central African Republic will be hosting a high-level roundtable discussion on 4 April in commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Participants will include the Prime Minister of the Central African Republic, relevant ministries and national stakeholders, members of the diplomatic corps, members of the Mine Action Area of Responsibility, Heads of agencies and funds, as well as MINSCA's senior leadership and Heads of Sections.
On 3 April, UNMAS raises awareness among women in Bégoua about the dangers linked to explosive devices - Radio Guira.
The Central African Republic will soon have a national mine action authority with the support of MINUSCA and UNMAS.
Ethiopia
On 4 April, the United Nations in Ethiopia would like to stress the need for enhancing support to victims affected by Explosive Ordnance with a commemorative event in Addis Ababa, bringing together the United Nations, donors and members of the Mine Action community. Keynote speaker will be the director of the Ethiopian Mine Action Office, with further contributions by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, the UNICEF Head of Agency and a representative of a local NGO involved in Mine Action in the country.
Libya
On Thursday March 7th LibMAC conducted a meeting with UNMAS & all Mine Action implementing partners at the LibMAC’s office regarding the event preparations for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
The IMAD Event will take place on Thursday May 9th at Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli. Event Agenda: Opening speeches by LibMAC, MOD, UNSMIL. Followed by a Discussion Panel on stage with potential representatives from Ministries, government, UNSMIL, Donors and other stakeholders. After the discussion coffee break will be served and Organization boots will be open for visitors.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
On 4 April, UNMAS partner with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Congolese Mine Action Coordination Center (CCLAM) to organize an event in Kinshasa, in recognition of mine action day. The event brought together important people and organizations, including donors, embassies, national authorities, and others to raise awareness about the dangers of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
Somalia
The United Nations Mine Action Service in Somalia in collaboration with SCPAG and UNSOM and UNSOS Mine Action Service invites you to attend the in-person event hosted by the UNSOM Chief of Branch, Mine Action Programme and Chief of UNMAS Somalia Programme to commemorate the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on Thursday, 4 April, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Tukul in Mogadishu.
South Sudan
On 4 April, from 09:00 to 11:30 CAT, UNMAS South Sudan will lead a commemoration with a focus on youth, featuring a performance by a local musician and engagements with school students showcasing their molded art at Imperial Hotel, Juba. School children will present clay works along with an explosive ordnance risk education song produced by a local musician. Highlights will also include speeches by Honourable Angelina Teny, Minister of Interior Affairs; UNMISS, NMAA, and mine action partners; as well as the launch of the National Mine Action Authority Law.
Syria
The UNMAS team in Syria invited heads of agencies in Syria for a field visit to Yarmouk on Thursday 14th March(Yarmouk is a Palestinian refugee camp and was heavily affected by the crisis). The joint visit by UNMAS ,UNRWA and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) survey and clearance teams took place then.The event has been arranged to mark Mine Action Day. In cooperation with agencies including UNHCR, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNRWA, WHO, OSE, and OCHA, a series of joint media posts will be published to mark the day and raise awareness of affected populations.
Furthermore, a joint initiative with UNICEF was organized to promote mine awareness through painting activity in two schools located in Rural Damascus. There was also an SMS awareness campaign to all mobile phone subscribers in the country, and a Facebook campaign to ensure the messages and visual contents reach beneficiaries.
Additionally, official ceremony will be held on 16 April, an open-door afternoon at the UNMAS office in Damascus allowing visitors to learn about the organization's demining operations in the country.
Yemen
The UNMAS team in Yemen hosts events at various duty stations throughout the first week of April to celebrate Mine Action Day.
Hudaydah: Gathering on 3 April, at 11:00 in front of villa #3 for a group photo; Iftar dinner on 3 April, at 18:00 in the cafeteria.Join us for an Iftar dinner, engaging with all UNMHA and extended family.
Sana’a: Gathering on 4 April, at 11:00 in front of the office building for a group photo. YEMAC event at Al-Bustan Hotel on Thursday, 4 April, at 15:30; YEMAC iftar in Al-Shaibani Corp on Haddah street.
Aden: Gathering on 4 April at 11:00 in front of the office building for a group photo; Iftar dinner on 3 April, at 18:00 in the office.Join us for an Iftar dinner, engaging with all UNMHA and extended family.
Mocha: Gathering on 4 April at 11:00 in front of the office building for a group photo.