In commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya attended a discussion, hosted by the Anti-Mine Association, entitled ‘Demining in Libya.’ The event brought together key mine action stakeholders, including the Anti-Mine Association,  UNDP Libya, Libyan Civil Defence, the Libyan Centre for Specifications and Standards, the Libyan Centre for Remote Sensing and the Libyan Studies History Centre, as well as members of the media.

The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is a global event launched to remind communities around the world that landmines and explosive remnants of war are continuing to kill or injure thousands of people a year. According to UNDP data, there are an estimated 500,000 landmine and explosive remnants of war survivors today, of whom three-quarters are civilians.

In a special message to mark the Day, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, highlighted the positive impact UN demining activities are having around the globe.   “Each year, mine action programmes around the world are clearing landmines from more than 100 square kilometres of land and teaching more than 7 million people how to avoid danger in infested areas. These efforts have helped reduce casualty rates.” Nevertheless, the Secretary General was adamant that “the only acceptable casualty rate is zero." 

In Libya the event was used as a platform for cementing stronger partnerships and greater co-ordination in demining efforts, to allow for higher quality, more effective mine clearance. As UNDP Resident Representative, Brian Gleeson emphasised in his opening speech, “clearing a minefield badly can be more dangerous than not clearing at all”. Improved co-ordination will also decrease the likelihood of costly duplication of work and will ensure that priority areas are cleared first.

Libya is one of the worst affected countries in the world when it comes to landmines, with an estimated 10million mines scattered throughout its territories. These landmines not only pose a significant risk to civilians, but also hamper development efforts, by reducing the land available for agriculture and industry.

The event provided an opportunity to highlight UNDP’s resolve to scale-up demining efforts in Libya. Since the signing of a Letter of Intent in May 2008, UNDP Libya’s partnership with the Anti-Mine Association has underpinned a number of successful mine action campaigns, including a high-profile media awareness campaign held in Tobruk in June 2008 and an International Conference on Demining for Development which took place in November 2008. In December 2008, UNDP Libya engaged a top-level expert to work with the Anti-Mining Association, to formulate a strategy for demining in Libya according to international standards.

By bringing together key players in the sphere of mine action, this year’s International Mine Awareness marked an important step forward in fomenting a national partnership for demining. Only a concerted and collaborative effort in this sphere can provide the required foundations for an effective, nationwide anti-mine campaign. The co-operation exhibited by demining actors is of decisive importance for the successful tackling of a mine situation that both poses a significant humanitarian threat and severely hampers development efforts.