Over 600 participants from 105 countries have convened in Siem Reap for a summit focused on the global campaign to clear landmines. With over 5,000 victims annually and 33 nations still facing landmine hazards, the summit calls for increased international cooperation and resources to protect future generations from the explosive remnants of war.
On Wednesday, Ly Thuch, First Vice-President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Authority and President of the Ottawa Convention 2024, led a delegation of over 600 members on a visit to Angkor Wat during their participation in the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World meeting of State Parties to the Ottawa Convention. Cambodia was approved as chair and host to the fifth review meeting of the Ottawa Convention’s by its 164 members in November of last year.
Read more…
Source: Khmer Times
Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter
Related:
- Demining Capability Coalition to provide Ukraine with €205 million worth of equipment and machinery this year
June 20, 2026
The Demining Capability Coalition supporting Ukraine will establish a €95 million fund to assist in clearing Ukraine’s territory of explosive hazards. In addition, specialized machinery and equipment worth €205 million are scheduled for delivery to Ukraine in 2026. The announcement was made by Rolandas Kiškis, coordinator of the Demining Capability Coalition at the Ministry of National ...
- Syria: Mine clearance teams begin work to secure return routes to Serêkaniyê
June 18, 2026
Mine clearance teams have begun work on the road connecting the cities of Tel Tamer and Serêkaniyê and the surrounding villages, as part of preparations for the return of displaced residents of Serêkaniyê to their homes. Presidential team member Mustafa Abdi told ANHA agency that a specialized committee has been formed, comprising the Internal Security Forces ...
- Cambodia: HALO Trust successfully clears minefield in Oddar Meanchey province
June 17, 2026
The HALO Trust has successfully completed mine clearance operations at a contaminated site in Ta Dev village, Trapaing Tav commune, Anlong Veng district, Oddar Meanchey province, according to information released by the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) today. During the operation, deminers discovered and safely destroyed one anti-vehicle landmine. The cleared route is used by around 200 ...
- AUSSOM, UN Mine Action Service Discuss Expanding Cooperation on Explosive Threats in Somalia
June 17, 2026
The commander of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), Lieutenant General Sam Kavuma, met in Mogadishu with the head of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), Fran O’Grady, to discuss strengthening cooperation in addressing explosive threats and accelerating mine-clearance efforts across Somalia. According to officials, the talks focused on enhancing coordination ...
- Iraq: Thousands of deminers face danger without safeguards
May 30, 2026
More than 5,000 Iraqis work in mine and unexploded ordnance clearance across Iraq, facing low wages and limited social and health protections despite carrying out one of the country’s most dangerous humanitarian missions, the Eco Iraq Observatory cautioned on Saturday. The workforce includes men and women serving in field, administrative, medical, and logistical roles, with most ...
- Cambodia backs Lebanon in landmine clearing
May 29, 2026
Senior Minister Ly Thuch renewed Cambodia’s commitment to global mine action, offering to share the country’s demining experience with Lebanon following Beirut’s entry into the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. Ly Thuch, who is first vice-president of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), said Lebanon’s decision strengthens the global norm against landmines. The move ...
- Iraq prepares national landmine clearance plan as 8.5 million still live under threat
May 28, 2026
Iraq’s Ministry of Environment has prepared what it calls a comprehensive national strategic plan to address landmines and unexploded ordnance using modern technologies, as the country remains among the world’s most heavily contaminated, with nearly 35,000 Iraqis killed or injured by explosive remnants by the end of 2022 and around 8.5 million people still living ...
- Poland provides $250,000 to support mine clearance in Syria
May 26, 2026
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Syria announced financial support worth $250,000 for mine clearance operations across Syrian territory in 2026. In a statement posted on its official account on X, the embassy said the Polish government had decided to support mine clearance programs as a key step toward enhancing civilian safety and contributing ...
- Ukraine: Kyiv and Tokyo plan to create a venture fund and launch a commercial investment hub
May 25, 2026
Ukraine and Japan are strengthening their cooperation in the areas of economic and technological transformation, smart demining, and investment attraction. During negotiations, the countries’ representatives paid close attention to integrating Japanese technologies into Ukrainian production. First, they plan to apply this approach in the demining sector, and later scale it up to industry and agriculture. Read more… Source: Ukraine Business ...
- Libya: Italy and international partners relaunch support for mine clearance
May 22, 2026
According to data from the Libyan Centre for Mine and War Remnants Activities, since 2011 over 688 million square metres of Libyan territory have been contaminated by explosive devices or war remnants. Italy, the European Union, and nine other countries have confirmed their commitment to supporting mine clearance and unexploded ordnance clearance activities in Libya, considered ...
- Cambodia: Japan funds $11M new mine clearance initiative
May 19, 2026
Cambodia has launched a new Japanese-funded mine clearance initiative worth more than $11 million to accelerate efforts to remove deadly remnants of war from the country’s western provinces, expand support for affected communities, and move closer to its goal of becoming mine-free by 2030. The third phase of the project was launched on May 18 in ...
- UN Calls for Urgent Action as Afghanistan’s Land is Heavily Contaminated by Explosives
May 16, 2026
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has expressed deep concern over the contamination of two-thirds of Afghanistan’s land by explosive materials, reporting that an average of 15 civilians lose their lives each month due to mine explosions. The agency emphasized that most of the casualties are children, underscoring the urgent ...
- Libya: Chief of General Staff and UN Official review mine clearance plans
May 13, 2026
Chief of the General Staff of the Libyan Army, Salah Al-Din Al-Namroush, met with Fatima Zreig, Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service in Libya, to discuss plans for removing landmines and explosive remnants of war across the country. The meeting, held at Al-Namroush’s office, focused on enhancing coordination and cooperation between the two sides ...
- Nepal: Two decades since peace accord, wartime IEDs still haunt villagers
May 11, 2026
Nearly two decades after the peace accord formally ended a protracted Maoist insurgency (1996-2006), explosives planted during the conflict are still being discovered in settlements, school compounds and farmlands across the country. According to security agencies, many explosives planted or buried during the conflict may still remain underground, particularly in remote areas and former battlegrounds. Read more… Source: ...
- The UK renews £1.6M for Cambodia mine action
May 7, 2026
Thousands of Cambodian farming families will live and work more safely as the UK renews its commitment to mine action in Cambodia, now in its fourth decade of support with an estimated total contribution of £65 million (over USD 85 million). This year, the UK Government is renewing a commitment of £1.6 million (USD 2.1 million) ...
- UN: Global demining work strained by rising conflicts and shrinking aid
May 2, 2026
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said this week. “They’re telling me, ‘Never in my career have I ever seen so many conflicts,’” said Kazumi Ogawa, speaking at the close of ...
- Cambodia: Farmer killed in mine blast as ERW casualties rise
May 1, 2026
A farmer was killed Wednesday when an explosive remnant of war (ERW) detonated on his land in Battambang province, taking the number of blast casualties to 21 since the start of the year. This marks a rise of 17% compared to the same period last year. Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) Director-General Heng Ratana said the ...
- Sudan: European Union funds Mine Action Programme to support recovery and safe returns
April 28, 2026
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan has received new funding from the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) to support mine action activities aimed at improving civilian safety, humanitarian access, and early recovery in conflict-affected areas of Sudan. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan has received new funding ...
- Cambodia: Government aims to clear all mine-affected areas by 2030
April 27, 2026
The government has set a target to clear all mine-affected areas by 2030, with cluster munitions and priority zones containing explosive remnants of war (ERW) to be cleared by 2035. This initiative aims to bolster socio-economic development and enhance Cambodia’s international standing. In a press release following a Council of Ministers plenary session on the National ...
- Azerbaijan: One injured in landmine explosion in Aghdara district
April 26, 2026
A man was injured in a landmine explosion on April 26 in the village of Syrkhavand in Aghdara District, according to a joint statement from Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan National Mine Action Agency (ANAMA). The victim, 58-year-old Vugar Ahmadov, a resident of Yenibina village in Khojaly District, ...
- U.S. Plans to Provide Additional $1.5 Million for Demining Efforts in Serbia
April 23, 2026
On his visit to Serbia, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker attended a de-mining demonstration at the Serbian Mine Action Center in Velika Mostanica. Ambassador Whitaker’s visit underscores U.S. commitment to the new era in U.S.-Serbia relations and continued dedication to cooperation in many fields, including demining efforts. To date, the United States has invested more ...
- Landmines pose growing threat to people and environment, UNDP warns
April 22, 2026
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday called for stronger political commitment to clear landmines and other explosive ordnance as a precondition for longer-term recover, warning that they are also causing lasting environmental damage. Speaking at the 29th International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers in Geneva, UNDP said explosive ordnance ...