To Walk the Earth in Safety

Since the inception of the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program in 1993, and its merging into our overall Conventional Weapons Destruction program in subsequent years, the United States has delivered over $2 billion in aid to help overcome threats from landmines and explosive remnants of war, as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions in over 90 countries around the world. These efforts have been led by the U.S. Department of State, in close partnership with the Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a host of experts from across the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector, making it truly a pioneer in “smart power.”

The United States is proud to be the world’s single largest financial supporter of humanitarian mine action and we share common cause with those working to address the harmful effects of indiscriminately used landmines on civilians. Our efforts have enabled many countries around the world to become free of the humanitarian impact of landmines (“impact free”) and have dramatically helped reduce the world’s annual mine casualty rate.

These efforts support not only clearance of landmines, but also medical rehabilitation and vocational training for those injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war, as well as community outreach to prevent further injuries and essential investments in research and development of new technologies. Taken together, Humanitarian Mine Action can help make post-conflict communities safer and set the stage for recovery and development.