The Interagency Working Group on Humanitarian Demining will work on the development of the Mine Action Strategy. This decision was supported at a meeting of the National Mine Action Authority on 16 June 2023.

The Interagency Working Group on Humanitarian Demining includes all state institutions involved in the humanitarian demining process. It is therefore appropriate that the development of the Strategy, as a key document that will guide humanitarian demining policy in the coming years, should take place within the framework of the IWG.

“A working group will be set up within the IWG to develop the Strategy. Executive authorities have been invited to nominate candidates for the group. We plan to involve all stakeholders in the work to develop the most effective and practical document,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Head of the Interagency Working Group on Humanitarian Demining.

Other topical issues of demining were also discussed at the meeting. The National Mine Action Authority supported the proposal of the Ministry of Economy to develop an experimental government resolution that would significantly facilitate the production, certification and procurement of specialised demining equipment by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other mine action operators. The proposal was previously discussed at a meeting of the IWG on Humanitarian Demining.

According to Yuliia Svyrydenko, the key task for Ukraine in the field of humanitarian demining today is to strengthen the capabilities of Ukrainian deminers. The development and adoption of a Government decision will speed up the process of providing the units with the necessary equipment.

The national authority also supported the proposal of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine to update the areas of the territories requiring demining.

“The previously approved plans for surveying and clearing the territory are being implemented ahead of schedule. At the same time, significant potentially contaminated areas do not require demining, as their survey has shown. Currently, more than 100,000 of the 470,000 hectares of agricultural land identified for priority cleanup are ready for economic activity. Therefore, we will adjust our plans,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko.

As a reminder, the Action Plan for Humanitarian Demining of Agricultural Land is a four-year plan that aims to bring 470,000 hectares of agricultural land back into use. This year, up to 165,000 hectares of land, or about 35% of the land identified in the plan, could be brought back into use.