Switzerland's commitment to mine action in 2022

Switzerland has been engaged in mine action for over 30 years. In 2022, it allocated around CHF 17.5 million to activities promoting clearance, victim assistance, explosive ordnance risk education, as well as strengthening local capacities in mine action. Switzerland supported projects in 13 countries and seconded 14 experts to seven affected contexts. It also continued to work at the diplomatic, legal and practical levels with the aim of ensuring that the relevant agreements are being implemented universally.

Read on for some examples of Switzerland's engagement in mine action around the world.

In 2022, Switzerland continued its work to get all states to accede and adhere (known as universalisation) to the conventions on anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions. To this end, the FDFA's Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) co-organised a workshop in Abuja, Nigeria, on the universalisation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). Several the countries taking part in the workshop went on to announce at the following Meeting of States Parties that they were taking steps to accede to the CCM. This year, Nigeria became the 111th State Party of the Convention.

To advance understanding of the progress and challenges in implementing the relevant agreements, the PHRD also supports research projects such as the Landmine Monitor, Cluster Munition Monitor, and Mine Action Review. These data and analyses help increase transparency in this area, and are key to developing evidence-based policies. Switzerland also promotes dialogue with non-state armed groups on compliance with international humanitarian law and the basic rules of the relevant agreements.

Clearing mines and other explosive ordnance helps prevent additional human suffering and contributes to sustainable development: people who were displaced can return home, fields can be farmed again, and destroyed infrastructure can be rebuilt.

Teaching people about the dangers of mines and other explosive ordnance promotes safer behaviour, prevents accidents, and saves lives. This work is essential, particularly in view of the rising numbers of mine victims worldwide.

The Landmine Monitor estimates that in 2021 more than 5,540 people became victims of mines and other explosive ordnance. The most disadvantaged groups in society are usually the most affected, and the livelihoods of entire families are put at risk. The victim support pillar of mine action aims to ensure that the affected people can fully exercise their rights and participate actively in society by providing medical care, physical rehabilitation, and socio-economic services.

For mine action to be sustainable and relevant in the long term, the people who are the most affected should be empowered to carry it out. Switzerland therefore supports the development of sustainable national capacities in line with the principle of helping people to help themselves. It also deploys demining experts from the Swiss Armed Forces to UN demining programmes as well as supporting training courses with partners like the GICHD or UN agencies such as UNICEF,), UNMAS or UNDP.

Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the resulting armed conflict are causing significant casualties and extensive contamination by mines and other explosive ordnance. Mine action in Ukraine is a condition for humanitarian access, the return of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure, social and economic recovery, including agriculture, and sustainable development.

In 2022, Switzerland supported Ukraine in cooperation with partner organisations such as the GICHD and the Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD). The DDPS has been financing training courses through the GICHD since July 2022, and in Western Ukraine since autumn 2022. Through the PHRD, the FDFA supported risk education through an FSD project and promoted coordination in the field of mine action, including through an international meeting of all key actors in Geneva organised by the GICHD. In the coming years, mine action support for Ukraine will be expanded along various lines of action.

The activities carried out in 2022 bring the implementation of Switzerland's Mine Action Strategy 2016–22 to a close. At the start of 2022, the Federal Council adopted Switzerland's first-ever strategy on arms control and disarmament, which includes conventional weapons as one of its five fields of action. This means that mine action is now an integral part of this new strategy. One of the concrete measures set out is the development of an action plan on mine action to replace the Mine Action Strategy 2016–22. Switzerland will therefore continue to actively support and promote mine action at the diplomatic level and through activities in the field.