Ukraine Mine Action Conference to be held in Brussels in mid-November

The Ukraine Mine Action Conference 2026 (UMAC 2026) will take place in Brussels on November 16-18. This is the fourth such conference, and this year it will be co-hosted by Ukraine and the European Union in partnership with Belgium.

UMAC 2026 will bring together representatives of governments, international organizations, academia and the private sector, as well as mine action operators, to support and strengthen international cooperation in mine action in Ukraine and worldwide.

For Ukraine, UMAC 2026 is more than a platform for discussing mine action. It is at the conference that partners make commitments to support humanitarian demining. A year ago in Tokyo, following UMAC 2025, partners allocated the equivalent of more than USD 80 million to mine action projects in Ukraine.

“In just a few years, Ukraine has made a huge leap in the development of mine action. Four years ago, we asked for help with funding and expertise, as we had never faced contamination of this scale. Today, we have a functioning humanitarian demining market, and the state program covers 100% of the cost of clearing agricultural land, under which operators have returned tens of thousands of hectares of arable land to farmers. We have studied our partners’ experience and improved on it, and we are also offering innovative solutions that are used both directly in the fields and in work planning. We have gone from being a recipient to being a full-fledged partner, with something to offer and to share,” said Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Clearing the Way in Partnership.” Participants will focus on three areas:

Shared Security

Global security begins with safe communities, restored territories and the ability of people to live, work and rebuild without risking their lives because of explosive hazards. Humanitarian demining is the foundation for recovery, long-term resilience and sustainable development in countries affected by war and contamination.

Shared Experience

Ukraine is testing new approaches to mine action in real time and helping shape the future of the sector globally, while studying and improving on the experience of other contaminated countries. From drones, demining machines and AI-based prioritization to data systems, operational coordination and innovative approaches to financing, accountability and decision-making, Ukraine and its partners are making humanitarian mine action faster, safer and more effective.

Shared Responsibility

Sustainable mine action requires inclusiveness, trust and long-term partnership. It depends on close coordination among all stakeholders, effective prioritization, national ownership and the empowerment of local actors to build resilient, state-led mine action systems with a lasting impact.

The conference will also feature an exhibition of Ukrainian companies that manufacture demining machinery and equipment, including light and heavy demining machines, remote explosive ordnance detection systems, metal detectors and more.

To learn more about UMAC 2026 and view the agenda, visit the conference’s official website.