Beyond Oslo:
Taking Stock of Gender andDiversity Mainstreaming in
the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban
Convention
R E N ATA H E S S M A N N D A L A Q U A·

PA U L A J O U F U S T E R·

HANA SALAMA

1

Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

6

1. INTRODUCTION

9

2. GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

10

2.1

12

Why Gender Matters in the APMBC

3 . T H E O S L O A C T I O N P L A N : S TAT U S O F I M P L E M E N TAT I O N O F G E N D E R - R E L AT E D A C T I O N S

16

3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5

18
21
22
24
26

Best Practices for Implementing the Convention
Survey and Clearance of Mined Areas
Mine Risk Education and Reduction
Victim AssistanceInternational Cooperation and Assistance

4 . V I E W S F R O M N O N - G O V E R N M E N TA L O R G A N I Z AT I O N S I N M I N E A C T I O N

29

4.1
4.2

30
30
32
33
34
35
36
37
37

4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7

Best Practices for Implementing the Convention
Survey and Clearance of Mined Areas
Box 1. The HALO Trust Initiatives to Empower Women in Mine Action
Mine Risk Education and Reduction
Victim AssistanceInternational Cooperation and AssistanceBox 2. Powering the Future: Mines Action Canada’s Youth Fellows
Key Enabling Factors
Main Challenges

5. LOOKING AHEAD: CHARTING PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT ACTION PLAN

39

5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5

40
40
41
41
42

Women’s Participation in APMBC Diplomacy and in Mine Action
Diversity and Inclusion
Post-clearance
International Cooperation and Assistance
Synergies with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

6 . C O N C LU S I O N S

43Annex A. Copy of the UNIDIR survey and list of participating organizations
Annex B. Oslo Action Plan: Selected Actions on Gender, Diversity and Inclusion

44
46

Cover photo: Mine risk awareness training at the Um Serdiba Arabic Basic School in Um Serdiba, Southern Kordofan, Sudan.
© Johann Hattingh/UNMIS
2

Acknowledgements
Support from UNIDIR core funders provides the foundation for all of the Institute’s activities. The
Gender and Disarmament Programme is supported by the governments of Canada, Germany, Ireland
and Norway.
The authors would like to thank Theo Bajon, Arianna Calza Bini and Dominic Wolsey for theirthoughtful comments and suggestions. The authors are grateful to all surveyed participants forsharing their knowledge and experience. Additionally, the authors are thankful to Mae Ballena forher assistance with background research.

Notes
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply theexpression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning
the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitationof its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed in the publication are the sole responsibility of theindividual authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the United Nations, UNIDIR,
its staff members or sponsors.

Citation
Renata H. Dalaqua, Paula Jou Fuster and Hana Salama. 2023. Beyond Oslo: Taking Stock of Genderand Diversity Mainstreaming in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, UNIDIR, Geneva.

About UNIDIRUNIDIR is a voluntarily funded, autonomous institute within the United Nations. One of the few policy
institutes worldwide focusing on disarmament, UNIDIR generates knowledge and promotes dialogue
and action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR assists the international community
to develop the practical, innovative ideas needed to find solutions to critical security problems.

About the Gender and Disarmament Programme
The Gender and Disarmament Programme contributes to the strategic goals of achieving genderequality in disarmament forums and effectively applying gender perspectives in disarmament
processes. It encompasses original research, outreach activities and resource tools to support
disarmament stakeholders in translating gender awareness into practical action.

3

Authors
Dr. Renata Hessmann Dalaqua

Head of the Gender and Disarmament programme, UNIDIR.
A recipient of the United Nations Women Scholarship for Peace, she has conducted research andpublished on international cooperation on security, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control,and nuclear energy governance. She holds a PhD in History and Politics from the Vargas Foundation,
Brazil, and a Master’s Degree in International Politics and Security from the University College
London. Her areas of expertise include gender and multilateral disarmament forums, nuclear energy
policymaking and technology governance.

Paula Jou Fuster

Graduate Professional, Gender and Disarmament programme,
UNIDIR.
She graduated with an MA in Gender Studies from Central European University. She also holds a BA
in International Relations from Blanquerna University, with specialization in Foreign Policy. She is amember of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and has experience
working for civil society organizations and as a gender consultant. Her areas of expertise include the
WPS Agenda, gender and international relations, critical peace research, nuclear disarmament andinternational cooperation.

Hana Salama

Researcher, Gender and Disarmament programme, UNIDIR.
She leads several projects on gender and conventional arms control. Prior to joining UNIDIR, Hana
was a consultant at the Small Arms Survey where she published several papers on armed violencemonitoring in the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa. She also worked with the Oxford Research Group
where she spearheaded a process that led to the creation of the first set of international standards
on casualty recording. Her areas of expertise include gender analysis, conflict prevention, small arms
control and disarmament, civilian casualty recording and protection of civilians in conflict.

4

Acronyms & Abbreviations
APMBC

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

CCCM

Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines

DRC

Danish Refugee Council

EORE

Explosive ordnance risk education

ERW

Explosive remnants of war

GICHD

Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining

ICBL- CMC

International Campaign to Ban Landmines–Cluster Munition Coalition

IMAS

International Mine Action Standards

ISU

Implementation Support Unit

M AC

Mines Action Canada

M AG

Mine Action GroupNGO

Non-governmental organization

OA P

Oslo Action PlanS E H L AC

Red de Seguridad Humana para América Latina y el Caribe

SMART

Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound

UNMAS

United Nations Mine Action Service

WPS

Women, Peace and Security

Mine Risk Education in Shambiko, Eritrea. © MAT MRE Team Member.

5

Executive Summary
A landmark in humanitarian disarmament, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) is alsoa reference in gender and diversity mainstreaming. In its latest Action Plan, known as the Oslo Action
Plan (2020–2024), APMBC States Parties committed to take a number of practical steps to integrate
gender perspectives and the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected communities into
all aspects of mine action and programming.
As the Oslo Action Plan (OAP) enters its final year of implementation, it is crucial to assess its impact
and reflect on the way forward. This report contributes to that effort by offering an overview of theimplementation of the action points of the OAP covering gender, diversity, and inclusion. Drawing
on official reporting and statements made by States Parties, as well as on a survey conducted withkey actors in mine action, this report outlines instances of progress achieved regarding gender anddiversity mainstreaming, as well as challenges and areas for improvement that could be addressedin the next Action Plan.

Key Findings•

Official reporting shows that the rate of implementation of gender-related action points varies
significantly. However, none of the action points has been implemented by 100 per cent ofrelevant States Parties.

•

There is a small increase in the number of States Parties whose national work plans and strategies
integrate gender and take the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected communities
into account—from 20 States Parties in 2020 to 22 in 2023.

•

Progress in terms of official gender balance in APMBC meetings is currently measured by thepercentage of delegations that include at least one woman as a delegate during Intersessional
Meetings. In 2023, 50 per cent of delegations registered a woman as a delegate.

•

An alternative way of measuring progress would be to monitor the overall share of women as
delegates, which would allow for a better picture of gender balance among government officials
in the APMBC. For instance, out of the 405 delegates representing States Parties in the 2022
Meeting of States Parties, only a third were women.

•

When it comes to including mine survivors and affected communities, there has been an increasein the percentage of affected States that reported having developed their national strategies andworkplans in an inclusive manner, from 21 per cent (2020) to 50 per cent (2023).

6

•

Between 2020 and 2023, no State Party reported including mine victims as parts of delegations
to APMBC meetings. This is in contrast with civil society organizations, which often include
survivors in their delegations.

•

There has been an increase in the number of States Parties including victim organizations in their
victim assistance planning, from 13 States Parties (2020) to 20 (2023).

•

The share of States Parties that have reported conducting consultations with women, men, girls,
and boys to establish contamination baselines has fluctuated over the years, starting at 21 percent in 2020, rising to 42 per cent in 2022, and decreasing to 27 per cent in 2023.

•

Progress in the implementation of mine risk education programmes for all affected populations
has remained consistently low, with less than 40 per cent of States Parties implementing Article
5 reporting mine risk education and reduction activities that collect, analyse and report data
disaggregated by gender, age, disability and other diverse needs.

•

Official reporting shows that 21 States Parties are using SMART objectives and indicators
to monitor their work on victim assistance. However, there is no systematized information onwhether these objectives and indicators address diversity in terms of gender, age and disability.

•

The number of States Parties disaggregating data on gender, age and disability in their national
data systems has seen significant progress, moving from 5 (2020) to 21 (2023). In proportionalterms, this represents just over 50 per cent of 38 States Parties implementing victim assistancein 2023.

•

Official indicators show that, in 2023, 19 States Parties provide international cooperation andassistance and 10 States Parties report sharing best practices and lessons learned throughinternational, regional, South-to-South and/or bilateral cooperation. However, there is no
systematized information on whether gender and diversity considerations are being integrated
into these efforts.

•

In addition to providing guidance for States Parties, the OAP has also influenced the work ofother mine action stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations and internationalorganizations.

•This research has identified renewed commitment on the part of NGOs and IOs towards genderequality in mine action since the adoption of the OAP. This has been expressed in organizational
strategies, action plans, policies, and quotas for women’s participation, as well as support fromdonors and host countries.

•

Surveyed organizations noted that, while gender- and age-specific impacts have been relatively
well understood, the same is not true for other diversity factors, such as disability, sexual
orientation and identity, ethnicity or religion.

•

Other challenges mentioned by surveyed organizations refer to a lack of multi-year funding tosupport intermediate and long-term projects in the area of gender and diversity mainstreaming.

7

Main Recommendations•

The OAP provides a solid base for gender and diversity mainstreaming. Several actions andindicators remain a work in progress and therefore could be carried forward into the new Action
Plan, such as metrics to monitor the presence of a gender component in national work plans andstrategies; gender balance at meetings; whether inclusive consultations are taking place; thedelivery of mine risk education programmes to all segments of the population; and data collection
disaggregated by gender, age and disability.

•

Some indicators of the OAP offer room for improvement. That is the case of indicators associatedwith international cooperation and assistance, which do not provide information on whether or
not gender and diversity considerations are being considered. Instead, a more useful indicator
would quantify the number of States Parties that include gender, age, and disability-sensitive
criteria as part of their cooperation and assistance programmes.

•

States Parties should change the way they track women’s participation in APMBC meetings andstart analysing the share of women delegates in relation to the overall number of delegates, as
this would allow for a more accurate picture of the gender composition among APMBC diplomats.

•

Going beyond the field of diplomacy, States Parties could consider including an indicator related
to women’s employment in mine action programmes at the national level.

•

The new Action Plan could encourage donors to provide sustained financial support to genderand diversity mainstreaming. This could be monitored by including an indicator focused on thepercentage of budgets allocated for gender and diversity mainstreaming.

•

To ensure policy coordination and build on synergies, the new Action Plan could include anindicator addressing synergies between the APMBC and the Women, Peace and Security
Agenda—for example, number of States that have included mine action-related goals in their
1325 National Action Plans.

•

In order to encourage and facilitate reporting, States Parties could agree to limit the number ofindicators per action point to one or two. The indicators could be quantitative, while also allowing
space for States Parties to provide a qualitative assessment of impact.

8

Stop Landmines. © United Nations Mine Action Service

1. Introduction
A landmark in humanitarian disarmament, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) isalso a reference in gender and diversity mainstreaming. Since the Convention’s entry into force in
1999, States Parties have successively adopted multi-year Action Plans, in which gender, diversity
and inclusion considerations have been gradually integrated. In its latest Action Plan, known as
the Oslo Action Plan (2020–2024), APMBC States Parties committed to take a number of practicalsteps to integrate gender perspectives and the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected
communities into all aspects of mine action and programming.
As the Oslo Action Plan (OAP) enters its final year of implementation, it is crucial to assess its impact
and reflect on the way forward. The analysis presented in this report contributes to this effort byoffering an overview of the implementation of nine action points of the OAP covering gender, diversity,and inclusion. Drawing on official reporting and statements made by States Parties, as well as asurvey conducted with key actors in mine action,1 this report outlines instances of progress achieved
regarding gender and diversity mainstreaming, as well as challenges and areas for improvement that
could be addressed in the next Action Plan.
The analysis of official reporting shows that the rate of implementation of selected action points
varies significantly. However, none has achieved 100 per cent implementation. This indicates thatfurther attention and resources are needed to fully implement the OAP. It may also mean that theindicators themselves could be further adjusted to streamline reporting and lessen the burden on
States Parties.
In addition to providing guidance for States Parties, the OAP has also influenced the work of mine
action stakeholders, such as non-governmental organizations and international organizations.
This research has identified renewed commitment towards gender equality in mine action since theadoption of the OAP. This has been expressed in organizational strategies, action plans, policies, andquotas for women’s participation, as well as support from donors and host countries, although manyof these initiatives were already in place before the OAP. Challenges remain, especially regarding
multi-year funding to support intermediate and long-term projects in this area.
The final section of this report outlines areas that could be addressed in the next Action Plan. These
include new ideas as well as adjustments in the current reporting framework, with a view to improving
the quality of reporting and on the ground implementation of the Convention. After all, pursuing thesystematic integration of gender and diversity considerations in the APMBC can optimize the use ofresources and ensure that the APMBC delivers results for all groups of societies.
1

In order to gather additional information and suggestions, a short questionnaire was circulated to APMBC States Parties,
non-governmental organizations and international organizations from 1 June to 1 September 2023. UNIDIR received 20
responses, including from affected States, donor States and national and international organizations that are active in thefield of mine action. The information gathered is referenced throughout this study, where relevant. A copy of the questionnaire
and the complete list of governments and organizations that responded are presented in Annex A of this report.

INTRODUCTION

9Demining in DRC. © UNMAS

2. Gender and Diversity
in the APMBCThe APMBC is a legally binding instrument which prohibits the use of anti-personnel landmines
under any circumstances, as well as their production and acquisition, and obliges States Parties to
the Convention to destroy any stockpiles according to the provisions of the Convention.2
Following a diplomatic process marked by high engagement of civil society organizations andassociations of landmine victims/survivors in an international civil society network known as theInternational Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the APMBC entered into force in 1999. Notably,
the ICBL won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its role in advocating for the Convention. By banninglandmines, the supporters of the Convention aimed to prevent suffering and casualties, which wasestimated at 26,000 lives in 1997 alone, when the Convention was negotiated.3 The establishmentof the Convention has been hailed as significant achievement and a landmark in humanitarian
disarmament, inspiring significant efforts in this area, such as the Cluster Munitions Convention,
which was subsequently negotiated and adopted in 2008. But establishing a new treaty is usuallyjust the beginning of a long journey, which involves getting States to join, ratify and implement theprovisions of the treaty.

2

3

The APMBC is also known as Ottawa Convention, or Ottawa Treaty, in relation to the place where it was first opened forsignature. Other ways of referring to it include Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty or Mine Ban Treaty. Its formal title is theConvention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction.
Jody Williams, Stephen D. Goose, and Mary Wareham, Banning Landmines (Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers,2008), p. 5.

10Aware of these challenges, States Parties to the APMBC and mine action stakeholders havebuilt institutions, developed guidance and best practices, and put in place processes tosupport monitoring and implementation of the Convention. As a result, the APMBC is groundedinadiverseimplementation

ecosystem,

includingformalandinformalmechanisms.

Among the formal mechanisms are the Implementation Support Unit (ISU), Coordinating Committees,
Intersessional Meetings and Meetings of States Parties. Other structures encompass initiatives suchas the informal Gender and Diversity Working Group,4 the Landmine Monitor produced by the ICBLCMC5 and the Mine Action Review,6 which is an independent research and monitoring endeavour
to promote implementation of survey and clearance obligations laid down in the APMBC and theConvention on Cluster Munitions.
These actors, mechanisms and processes have helped States Parties to move from words to action.
An area of marked progress has been the incorporation of gender and diversity perspectives across
APMBC implementation and mine action programming. This has stemmed from field observations
and the recognition that mine action takes place in gendered contexts, where differences andinequalities associated with gender roles have implications for the effective implementation of theConvention.
Gender and other factors—such as age, ethnicity, religion, language, and disability—influence thelikelihood of becoming a landmine victim, and the ability to access medical attention, long-term
reintegration, risk education and mine awareness resources. Structural inequalities also impact theability to be employed, to influence mine action processes, and to have access to land after clearance(see the following section ‘Why Gender Matters in the APMBC’).
These field observations have been reflected in normative instruments guiding the implementationof the APMBC. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1999, States Parties have successively
adopted multi-year Action Plans, in which gender considerations have been gradually integrated. In
the OAP, APMBC States Parties committed to take a number of practical steps to integrate gender
perspectives and the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected communities into all
aspects of mine action and programming. Additionally, the Oslo Review Conference decided toamend the working methods of the Convention’s Committees to establish Gender Focal Points.7
Such developments demonstrate the leading role of APMBC States Parties in enacting change andpromoting equality through policy decisions. Nevertheless, there is a risk that such plans will remainwords on paper if not acted upon and implemented.
4

5
6
7

The Working Group supports the mainstreaming of gender and diversity provisions within the APMBC and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It is currently comprised of representatives from 13 organizations: Amputee Self-Help Network
Uganda (ASNU), Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines (CCCM), Danish Church Aid (DCA), Danish Refugee Council(DRC), Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), The HALO Trust, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), International Campaign to Ban Landmines–Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC), Mines Action Canada (MAC), Mines Advisory
Group (MAG), Mine Action Review (MAR), Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), and Human Security in Latin American and the
Caribbean (SEHLAC). For more information, see https://www.gichd.org/our-response/gender-diversity-and-inclusion/
gender-and-diversity-working-group/.
The ICBL merged with the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) in 2011 to become the ICBL-CMC. For more information, see
http://www.icbl.org/en-gb/about-us/who-we-are/cmc.aspx.
For more information, see https://www.mineactionreview.org.
This was an innovation in institutional mandate and organizational practice that has since been replicated in otherdisarmament forums, such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

11

2.1 Why Gender Mattersin the APMBCGender refers to the roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a society, at a given time,
considers appropriate or as a ‘norm’ for women and men and girls and boys, as well as non-binary or
gender-fluid persons. Gender norms are socially constructed differences—as opposed to biologicaldifferences (i.e. sex)—and they function as social rules of behaviour, setting out what is desirable andpossible to do as a man or a woman in a given context.8
In most societies, gender norms have resulted in differences—and thus inequalities—between
women and men in terms of their socially assigned responsibilities, roles, access to and control overresources, and decision-making opportunities. This is relevant for mine action, as outlined below.

Impact of Landmines
Because of social and economic roles, men and boys are much more likely to be killed or injured bymines. In 2022, men and boys made up the majority of recorded casualties, accounting for 2,095
casualties (84%) where sex was known. Women and girls accounted for 404 casualties (16%).9
Women and girls are more often indirect victims. Due to predominant gender norms, they are often
expected to take on a caregiving role for survivors and provide financial support for their families
when the main provider is injured or killed.
In some contexts, when family resources are limited after a landmine accident, girls are more likely
to be taken out of school and/or married at an early age. The interplay of gender and other identity
factors (e.g. age, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, language and urban/
rural differences) can lead to further marginalization, stigmatization, and challenges for survivors,families of those killed and injured, and affected communities that share such identity characteristics.

Survey and Clearance
Women and men may have access to different information depending on culture-specific genderedroles, attributed mobility patterns, daily tasks and knowledge. In some cultures, girls are encouraged
to stay close to the home with other women and girls, while boys and men mayhave more
responsibilities outside the home. Differences in occupations and daily activities may lead to
8
9“Glossary: Gender”, UNESCO, https://whc.unesco.org/en/glossary/249/.
In 2022, there were an additional 2211 casualties where data on sex and/or age was not recorded. See ICBL-CMC, Landmine
Monitor Report 2023, Geneva, November 2023.

GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

12different knowledge of contaminated areas. For example, children attending school will haveknowledge of different areas of suspected contamination than children involved in agriculturalactivities.
Thus, it is not uncommon that different groups of society, performing different tasks and activities,
may hold different information on land contamination. In Jordan, the National Committee for Demining
and Rehabilitation carried out an inclusive consultation process, in which men and women submitted
information on where landmine accidents had taken place. The information gathered followed a clear
gender division.10 Examples like this show that consulting all groups of society can lead to morecomprehensive data, which can better inform decisions related to survey and clearance.

Explosive Ordnance Risk Education 11
Explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) programmes are usually more effective when they are
age appropriate, gender sensitive, and especially target and reach those most at risk—often children.
In 2021, children represented 50 per cent of civilian casualties where the age group was known.12
This points to the importance of reaching children with EORE, making them aware of mined areas
by pointing out and explaining mine warning signs or telling them not to touch mines or explosive
remnants of war (ERW).
Additionally, as some mine action actors have found out, children can involve their parents inactivities that indirectly help to educate the parents or inspire them to seek further information.13 In
areas with high illiteracy this method provides parents and communities with a valuable source of
information. ‘Child-to-child’ and ‘child-to-adult’ risk communication approaches have been adopted
by different organizations as part of their mine awareness campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Yemen, for instance.
Gender- and age- sensitive EORE has positive impacts on social development. In Colombia,
sessions in indigenous communities incorporate messaging on domestic violence, thus
offering safe spaces for women. Similarly, EORE activities directed towards young people
in Colombia have also provided opportunities for recreation through sports or theatre. 14
10 Melissa Sabatier and Reuben McCarthy, “Reaching the Right People: Gender and Mine Action”, The Journal of ERW andMine Action, Vol. 12 , Issue 2, Article 4 (2008): pp. 15, https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol12/iss2/4 Marie
Nilsson and Virginie Rozes “Gendered Structures of Mine Action,” The Journal of ERW and Mine Action, Vol. 12, Issue 2 ,Article 9 (2008): pp. 29–31, https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol12/iss2/9.
11 Although the OAP uses the term mine risk education (MRE), the mine action sector has generally adopted the explosive
ordnance risk education (EORE) approach, which encompasses explosive ordnance in general in addition to landmines.
12 International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Landmine Monitor 2022 (November 2022), http://www.the-monitor.org/en-gb/
reports/2022/landmine-monitor-2022.aspx At least 1,696 child casualties were recorded in 2021.
13 Mudhafar Aziz Hamad, “The Child to Adult Method in Mine Risk Education,” The Journal of Mine Action, Vol. 11, Issue 1 ,Article 24 (2007): pp. 67–69, https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol11/iss1/24/.
14 “Best practices and lessons learned from practical mainstreaming of gender and diversity in mine action”, GICHD, 2022, GD_
Workshop_30-31_May_2022_-_SUMMARY_REPORT.pdf (gichd.org).

GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

13

An all female demining team in action in South Sudan. © Elena Rice / UNMAO

Victim Assistance
Women, girls, boys and men who have been injured in accidents often have very different needs, evenwhen faced with the same type of injury, and they may face distinct challenges in accessing healthcare,rehabilitation, and livelihood opportunities due to cultural and social factors. Understanding andaddressing gender-specific impacts are vital to ensure the delivery of effective victim assistance.
For instance, in cases where men survivors can no longer support their families, feelings ofpowerlessness, sadness, anger and inadequacy may emerge. One organization working with landmine
survivors in Colombia stated that injured men tend to suffer from depression and aggressiveness,in some cases becoming violent towards women.15 Some victim-assistance organizations haveinformally reported that the issue of sexuality and disability is a concern for survivors, and the issue
was not addressed due to its sensitive nature and cultural taboos against talking openly about
sexuality.
In addition to medical care and rehabilitation, livelihood projects can help survivors regain a senseof autonomy and dignity. Psychosocial support for survivors and their families is also essential toensuring that trauma is understood by their families, communities and service providers alike.

Employment
Although there are no global statistics for the sector, field estimates and observations indicate thatmine action is a male-dominated area of work, both at the technical and policy levels. A 2023 surveyof 11 non-governmental organizations involved mine action showed that men make up approximately
70 per cent of the workforce, while women represent 30 per cent.16 When it comes to technical roles inmine action, including ordnance disposal, women are often severely underrepresented.
15 Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines, Gender and Landmines from Concept to Practice (Geneva: 2008), https://www.gichd.
org/publications-resources/publications/gender-and-landmines-from-concept-to-practice/.
16 “Gender and Employment in Mine Action by the Numbers: An Update”, Mines Action Canada, 2023.

GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

14

Employment of women in different roles in mine action, including operational and management roles,
is potentially transformative and can contribute to women’s economic empowerment and increased
participation and decision-making power. Gender-responsive mine action has the potential tochallenge negative stereotypes and gender norms on the limitations of women and girls and contributeto greater gender equality. Recent studies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Laos and Sri Lanka showed that theemployment of women in demining activities is leading to an improvement in women’s access toresources and services as well as to changes in gender norms outside of the mine action sector.17
In Cambodia, gender is included in national policies and structures and disaggregated employment
figures are consolidated at country level.18 Gender equality and women’s empowerment is prioritizedin the National Mine Action Strategy, and the National Guidelines For Gender Mainstreaming in Mine
Action.
There are many current and previous examples of women working as deminers in Afghanistan,Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, the Congo, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Laos,
Lebanon, Mozambique, Nagorno-Karabakh, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Tajikistan and Ukraine, among other places. Already in 2014, a manager working in Tajikistan notedthat “Including both men and women into operations and at all levels of programme activities has
proven to be fairly uncomplicated in most cases, even in a traditionally male-dominated field and,in many cases, traditionally male-dominated societies. Moreover, women demining teams havecontributed considerably not only to clearance projects, but to society development at large”.19
Furthermore, a 2022 study by the GICHD and Fenix Insights compared the clearance rates of womenand men in clearance roles and found there to be no meaningful difference in operational productivity
or availability to work in field-based roles.20

17 GICHD, The Socioeconomic Impact of Employing Female Deminers in Sri Lanka: Key Findings, (Geneva: June 2020),
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-globalcwd/1531;“Afghanistan’s First Female Deminers: An Analysis of Perception
Changes among Deminers, Families and Communities”, GICHD, 2020, https://www.gichd.org/fileadmin/uploads/gichd/
Publications/Afghanistan_s_First_Female_Deminers_An_Analysis_of_Perception_Changes_among_Deminers__
Families__and_Communities.pdf; “Baseline Study of the Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women through Mine Action in
Ninewa Governorate, Iraq”, UNMAS, 2021, https://www.unmas.org/sites/default/files/20210919_unmas_iraq_baseline_
study_women_in_mine_action_in_ninewa_governorate_final.pdf;“Monitoring & Evaluation of Gender Equality andInclusion in Explosive Ordnance Risk Reduction”, ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center, 2023, https://aseanmineaction.
org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GICHD_ARMAC_Gender__Diversity_in_Mine_Action_ME_FINAL_20June23.pdf.
18 “Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Practical Mainstreaming of Gender and Diversity in Mine Action”, GICHD, 2022,
https://www.gichd.org/fileadmin/uploads/gichd/migration/fileadmin/GICHD-resources/rec-documents/externaldocuments/GD_Workshop_30-31_May_2022_-_SUMMARY_REPORT.pdf.
19 Julieta Nikolova “Female Demining Teams in Tajikistan,” The Journal of ERW and Mine Action, Vol. 19, Issue 1 , Article 15(2015): pp. 53–55 https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol19/iss1/15.
20 Raphaela Lark, David Hewitson, and Dominic Wolsey, “Gender and Operational Efficiency”, The Journal of Conventional
Weapons Destruction, Vol. 26, Issue 1, Article 7 (2022): pp. 68–76, https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol26/
iss1/7/.

GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

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3. The Oslo Action Plan:
Status of Implementation of
Gender-related Actions
The Oslo Action Plan (OAP) consists of 50 actions covering key areas of APMBC implementation. In
terms of gender and diversity mainstreaming, the most relevant actions are summarized here.21•

Ensure that the different needs and perspectives of women, girls, boys and men are considered
and inform all areas of Convention implementation and mine action programmes; remove barriers
to full, equal and gender-balanced participation in mine action and in Convention meetings(Action 3);•

Consider the needs of mine survivors and affected communities and ensure their equal andmeaningful participation in all Convention-related matters (Action 4);•

Identify the perimeters of mined areas and establish accurate baselines of contamination basedon information collected from all relevant sources and through inclusive consultations withwomen, girls, boys and men (Action 18);•

Ensure that States Parties implementing commitments under Article 522 report on efforts toensure that mine risk education and risk reduction activities are sensitive to gender, age, anddisability and take the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected communities into
account (Action 29);•

Ensure that States Parties report on mine risk education and other risk reduction programme
results, with information disaggregated by gender and age (Action 32);•

Ensure that States Parties implementing victim assistance activities report on efforts to ensurethat they are inclusive of gender, age and disability and take diverse needs into account inplanning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all programmes (Action 33);•

Ensure collection of data disaggregated by gender, age and disability (Action 35);

21 For a complete overview of the actions and relevant indicators, see Annex B.
22 Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention refers to the identification and destruction of anti-personnel mines inmined areas.

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45);•

Explore opportunities for international, regional and bilateral cooperation, sharing experienceof integrating gender and taking the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected
communities into account into programming (Action 47).

States Parties report annually on the implementation of the OAP, using a common matrix of indicators.
The information submitted by States Parties feeds into an official report that is presented at theannual Meeting of the States Parties, under the item “Status of Implementation”.23 Based on official
reporting, this section compiles and analyses key indicators with a view to understanding progressachieved on actions related to gender, diversity and inclusion.

Oslo Review Conference. © AP Mine Ban Convention ISU.

23 Oslo Action Plan: Status of Implementation, APLC/MSP.18/2020/8, https://old.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/
APMBC/MSP/18MSP/oap-status-of-implementation-en.pdf; Oslo Action Plan: Status of Implementation, APLC/
MSP.19/2021/7,
https://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2021/19MSPOslo-Action-Plan-Implementation-Status.pdf; Oslo Action Plan: Status of Implementation, APLC/MSP.20/2022/12/Rev.1,
https://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2022/20MSP-Oslo-ActionPlan-Status-of-Implementation.pdf; Oslo Action Plan: Status of Implementation, APLC/MSP.21/2023/13, https://www.
apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2023/21MSP-Oslo-Action-Plan-Status-ofImplementation.pdf.

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3.1 Best Practices for
Implementing the Convention
Action 3 of the OAP underscores the need to adopt an inclusive approach in implementing theConvention and mine action programmes. This Action is supported by two indicators: one monitoring
national work plans and strategies, and another one tracking women’s participation in APMBC
meetings.
Between 2020 and 2023, the number of affected States Parties whose national work plans andstrategies integrate gender and take the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected
communities into account has increased from 20 to 22 States. The reference group of States Parties
implementing Article 5 and Victim Assistance has varied throughout the years in accordance with
self-reporting.
A C T I O N 3 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Percentage of affected States Parties whose national work plans and strategies integrate gender andtake the diverse needs and experiences of people in affected communities into account.
•

2020: 60% (20 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•

2021: 50% (20 of 40 States Parties implementing Article 5 and Victim Assistance)•

2022: 58% (20 of 42 States Parties implementing Article 5 and/or Victim Assistance)•

2023: 52% (22 of 42 States Parties implementing Article 5 and/or Victim Assistance)

Since the approval of the OAP in 2019, several National Action Frameworks guided by gender anddiversity considerations of the OAP have come into force—for instance, Colombia’s Mine Action
Strategic Plan, which adopts a methodology that pays attention to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientationand disability.24 This approach allows identification of specific rights of these groups, their conditionsof vulnerability and disadvantage in front of society as a whole, and the undertaking of actions toprevent, protect and reestablish their rights.25 In the case of Angola, the 2020–2025 National Mine
Action Strategy, which was developed in line with the OAP, includes gender and diversity as a crosscutting issue.26

24 Oficina del Alto Comisionado para la paz, “Plan estratégico 2020 – 20205: Hacia una Colombia Libre de Sospecha de Minas
Antipersonal Para todos los Colombianos”, https://new.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/
StatePlans-policies/Colombia-strategic-plan-mine-action-2020-2025.pdf.
25 Ibid.
26 Mine Action Review, “Clearing the Mines 2022”, October 2022, https://www.mineactionreview.org/assets/
downloads/5268_NPA_Clearing_the_Mines_2022_Web_ART_LV.pdf.

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For the case of Iraq, the 2023–2028 National Mine Action Strategy recognizes that “women, girls,
boys and men face different impacts by Explosive Ordnance contamination due to their roles andresponsibilities and that they may therefore have specific and varying needs and priorities”. Iraq’s
Action Plan mainstreams gender and diversity through its strategic objectives, specifically throughthe second and third, which focus on EORE and victim assistance, respectively. This translates into
specific actions, such as the prioritization of at-risk groups, the tailoring of EORE programmes, and thestandardization of disaggregated data collection on processes such as victim needs assessments.27
The second indicator associated with Action 3 is “the percentage of women in States Parties’delegations attending Convention meetings”. This indicator is monitored in Status of Implementation
reports through an assessment of the percentage of delegations that include at least one woman as adelegate. The share of delegations that include women has fluctuated in the past four years, with thelowest share of 49 per cent in 2021 and the highest share of 69 per cent in 2022. In 2023, 50 per centof delegations attending the Intersessional Meeting had at least one woman delegate.

A C T I O N 3 – I N D I C AT O R 2

Percentage of women in States Parties’ delegations attending Convention meetings.
•

2020: 52% (45 of 86 States Parties registered to attend the 2020 Intersessional Meeting)•2021: 49% (41 of 84 States Parties registered to attend the 2021 Intersessional Meeting)•2022: 69% (49 of 78 States Parties registered to attend the 2022 Intersessional Meeting)•2023: 50% (41 of 80 States Parties registered to attend the 2023 Intersessional Meeting)

Another way of measuring progress would be to monitor the overall share of women as delegates,
which would allow for a better picture of gender balance among government officials in the APMBC.
For instance, out of the 405 delegates representing States Parties at the 2022 Meeting of States
Parties, 33 per cent were women and 67 per cent men.28 This follows a common pattern in disarmament
forums. According to research by UNIDIR, at the current rate of progress, it will take another three
decades, until 2053, to close the gender gap in disarmament diplomacy.29 This underscores theimportance of targeted action to promote women’s participation and agency in this area of work.

27 The Republic of Iraq, “National Mine Action Strategy 2023-2028”, https://www.gichd.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Iraq_
National_Mine_Action_Strategy_2023_-_2028_EN.pdf.
28 APLC/MSP.20/2022/INF.1/Rev.1, 2022, https://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/
Meetings/2022/20MSP-List-of-Participants.pdf.
29 Renata Hessmann Dalaqua, Kjølv Egeland and Torbjørn Graff Hugo. Still Behind the Curve: Gender Balance in Arms Control,
Non-proliferation and Disarmament, UNIDIR,2019, https://unidir.org/publication/still-behind-the-curve/.

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Action 4 of the OAP focuses on considering the needs and ensuring the participation of minesurvivors and affected communities in all Convention-related matters; it is supported by three
indicators. The first one refers to the share of affected States Parties that reported having developed
their national strategies and workplans in an inclusive manner. The 2023 Status of Implementation
report shows that 50 per cent of affected States reported having developed their national strategies
and workplans in an inclusive manner.

A C T I O N 4 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Percentage of affected States Parties that reported having developed their national strategies andworkplans in an inclusive manner.
•

2020: 21% (7 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•

2021: 36% (21 of 40 States Parties implementing Article 5 and victim assistance)•

2022: 52% (22 of 42 States Parties implementing Article 5 and victim assistance)•

2023: 50% (21 of 42 States Parties implementing Article 5 and victim assistance)

The second indicator relates to the number of mine victims participating as delegates to Convention
meetings. According to the 2023 Status of Implementation report, no State Party reported involving
mine victims in any of the Convention meetings since the adoption of the OAP. This is in contrast
with civil society organizations, which often include survivors as part of their delegations to APMBC
meetings. In the future, if mine victims are included in States Parties delegations, this information
could be further disaggregated by gender.

A C T I O N 4 – I N D I C AT O R 2

Number of mine victims participating as delegates to Convention meetings.
•

2020: 0•2021: 0•2022: 0•2023: 020 MSP of APMBC. © AP Mine Ban Convention ISU.

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The third indicator, focused on the number of States Parties including victim organizations in their
Victim Assistance planning, shows an increase from 13 States Parties (2020) to 20 (2023). In
proportional terms, this represents 43 per cent of States Parties implementing victim assistance in2020 and 53 per cent in 2023.

A C T I O N 4 – I N D I C AT O R 3

Percentage of States Parties with a significant number of victims that report including victim
organizations in victim assistance planning at the national and local levels•

2020: 43% (13 of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2021: 63% (19 of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2022: 50% (18 of 36 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2023: 53% (20 of 38 States Parties implementing victim assistance)

3.2 Survey and Clearanceof Mined Areas
Action 18 encourages States Parties with remaining Article 5 obligations to identify the precise
perimeters of mined areas and establish evidenced-based and accurate baselines of contamination.
The 2023 Status of Implementation report shows that, among the 33 States Parties that haveobligations under Article 5, nine have reported conducting consultations with women, men, girls, andboys to establish contamination baselines. This is a positive development, given that consulting allgroups of society can lead to more comprehensive data, which can better inform decisions related
to survey and clearance. It is not possible to know if the remaining 24 States Parties implementing
Article 5 have conducted any form of survey in 2023, inclusive or not.

A C T I O N 1 8 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Percentage of affected States Parties that report having established their baseline through inclusive
consultations with women, girls, boys and men.
•

2020: 21% (7 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•

2021: 18% (6 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2022: 42% (14 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2023: 27% (9 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)

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Another important aspect of gender mainstreaming in survey and clearance would be the employmentof both men and women in mine action. At the moment, States Parties do not report on this metricgiven that it is not required by the OAP.

3.3 Mine Risk Education
and Reduction
As per Action 29, mine risk education and reduction programmes should be context-specific andsensitive to gender, age, disability, and the diverse needs and experiences of affected communities.
The first indicator used to monitor this action refers to the availability of mine risk education andreduction programmes for all impacted populations. According to the 2023 Status of Implementation
report, progress in the implementation of mine risk education and reduction programmes for allaffected populations has remained consistently low, with less than 40 per cent of affected States
Parties reporting such programmes in 2023.
A C T I O N 2 9 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Percentage of affected States Parties that report having mine risk education and reduction programmes
for all affected populations in place.
•

2020: 39% (13 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•

2021: 42% (14 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2022: 39% (13 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2023: 36% (12 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)

The second indicator refers to the collection and analysis of gender, age, and disability disaggregateddata in mine risk education and reduction efforts. Over the past four years, the share of States Parties
collecting and analysing such data has decreased from 39 per cent (2020) to 27 per cent (2023).
A C T I O N 2 9 – I N D I C AT O R 2

Percentage of States Parties that report carrying out mine risk education and reduction activities thatcollect, analyse and report data disaggregated by gender, age, disability and other diverse needs.
•

2020: 39% (13 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•

2021: 9% (3 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2022: 36% (12 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2023: 27% (9 of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)

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It is worth noting, however, that while Action 29 requires mine risk education and reduction
programmes to be developed based on needs assessment considering the gender and diverse needsof the affected population, the corresponding indicators do not address this directly. As such, reports
can only track States Parties that collect, analyse, and report gender and diversity disaggregateddata, but not whether these data are used to tailor the mine risk education and reduction activities tothe diverse needs of the affected population.
Action 32 requires reporting on mine risk education and reduction programmes to include gender andage disaggregated data. The number of States Parties that report on their mine risk education andother risk reduction programmes and results has varied, but the proportion has remained relatively
high—an average of 70 per cent among States Parties that implement mine risk education and otherrisk reduction programmes.

A C T I O N 3 2 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Number of States Parties reporting on their mine risk education and other risk reduction programmes
and results.
•

2020: 25 (of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•

2021: 21 (of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2022: 23 (of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)•2023: 22 (of 33 States Parties implementing Article 5)

It should be noted that this indicator does not detail whether States have collected gender and age
disaggregated data as part of their reporting on mine risk education and reduction. The indicators
listed under Action 29 are more suitable for that and they show a much lower rate of implementation.

2 3UNMAS.
Risk educator explains the threat of explosive hazards in Afghanistan. ©

3.4 Victim Assistance
Action 33 states that the government entity that oversees the integration of victim assistance into
broader national policies, plans and legal frameworks must adopt an inclusive approach. Thisentails taking into account gender, age, disability, and diverse needs of the affected population in theplanning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all programmes.
The first indicator supporting this action refers to the number of States Parties that have designateda government entity to coordinate victim assistance activities. According to the 2023 Status of
Implementation report, 24 States Parties have designated such entity.30

A C T I O N 3 3 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Number of States Parties that have designated a government entity to coordinate victim assistanceactivities.
•

2020: 18 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2021: 24 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2022: 23 (of 36 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2023: 24 (of 38 States Parties implementing Victim Assistance)

The second indicator used to measure this action focuses on the number of relevant government
entities that monitor their work through specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound(SMART) objectives and indicators.

A C T I O N 3 3 – I N D I C AT O R 2

Number of States Parties that have national action plans in place containing SMART objectives andrelated indicators.
•

2020: 15 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2021: 18 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2022: 18 (of 36 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2023: 21 (of 38 States Parties implementing victim assistance)

30 Under this specific action/indicator, the 2023 Status of Implementation report does not mention the total number of Sates
Parties that are implementing victim assistance in 2023. Under Action 35, however, the report considers that 38 States
Parties are implementing victim assistance in 2023.

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The official reporting shows that 21 States Parties are using SMART objectives and indicators tomonitor their work in 2023.31 In relative terms, this is a high proportion when considering that 24 States
Parties have a designated government entity. However, the use of SMART objectives and indicators
per se does not assure that indicators monitoring diversity in terms of gender, age and disability areincluded.
To complement this analysis, Article 7 reports can be a helpful source. Based on such reports, theCommittee on Victim Assistance observed that 20 States Parties that reported on victim assistanceas of June 2023 provided information on measures in place—including through national laws—andprogress achieved with regards to consideration of gender, age, disability and/or other diversity
dimensions in implementation of their victim assistance activities.32
As per the observation of the Committee on Victim Assistance during the 2022 and 2023
Intersessional Meetings, most of the information provided in this regard focused on gender and age
disaggregation of data, whereas disability consideration is also required by the OAP across mine
action activities.33
Under victim assistance, Action 35 emphasizes the importance of collecting all data related to mine
victims, including those who were killed or injured, and their needs and challenges, in a centralized
database that provides data disaggregated by gender, age, and disability. This is necessary forensuring a comprehensive response, as well as adequate assistance.
One of the two indicators used to evaluate progress in this area refers to the number of States
Parties that incorporate mine victims into their national disability data systems. The 2023 Status of
Implementation report shows significant progress in this area, as the number of States Parties taking
action has grown from 4 (2020) to 18 (2023).

A C T I O N 3 5 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Number of States Parties that include victims of anti-personnel mines in disability data systems.
•

2020: 4 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2021: 14 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2022: 16 (of 36 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2023: 18 (of 38 states parties implementing victim assistance)

31 Under this specific action/indicator, the 2023 Status of Implementation report does not mention the total number of Sates
Parties that are implementing victim assistance in 2023. Under Action 35, however, the report considers that 38 States
Parties are implementing victim assistance in 2023.
32 APMBC Committee on Victim Assistance (2023, 19–21 June), General Observations on the Status of Implementation-Victim
Assistance, https://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2023/IM23-GeneralObservations-VA.pdf.
33 Ibid.

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The second indicator used to evaluate this action refers to the number of States Parties disaggregating
data by gender, age and disability. Similar to the first, this indicator shows significant progress,
moving from 5 to 21 States Parties in the course of four years. In proportional terms, the level of
implementation reached just above 50 per cent of 38 States Parties implementing victim assistancein 2023.

A C T I O N 3 5 – I N D I C AT O R 2

Number of States Parties that disaggregate victim data by gender, age and disability.
•

2020: 5 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2021: 19 (of 30 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2022: 16 (of 36 States Parties implementing victim assistance)•

2023: 21 (of 38 States Parties implementing victim assistance)

3.5 International Cooperation
and AssistanceIn order to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, States Parties are encouraged tocooperate with one another. As specified in Action 45 of the OAP, States Parties that are in a position
to provide assistance are urged to support the implementation of national strategies and work plansthat are responsive to the diverse needs and experiences of affected individuals and are based on
sound gender, age, and disability analysis.
Progress in this area is evaluated based on three indicators. The first accounts for the number ofStates Parties that offer financial or other forms of support to affected countries. The second
accounts for States Parties that provide assistance to victims as part of broader humanitarian anddevelopment efforts. The third indicator accounts for the number of States Parties that offer support
to mine clearance activities.

A C T I O N 4 5 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Number of States Parties that report providing financial or other support to affected States Parties.
•

2020: 19•2021: 26•

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A C T I O N 4 5 – I N D I C AT O R 2

Number of States Parties that report providing support to victim assistance through the mine action
budget and/or making support available to victims, on an equal basis with others, as part of broader
development and humanitarian efforts.
•

2020: 5•2021: 14•2022: 13•2023: 10A C T I O N 4 5 – I N D I C AT O R 3

Number of States Parties that report providing support to mine clearance activities.
•

2020: 16•2021: 21•2022: 17•2023: 18

In 2023, 19 States Parties reported providing financial assistance to affected countries, 10 States
Parties provided support to victim assistance programmes, and 18 States Parties offered support
to mine clearance activities. Overall, even if the numbers have fluctuated, these indicators show asignificant number of States Parties engaging in international cooperation and assistance.
These indicators, however, do not offer information on whether gender and diversity considerations
are being integrated into international cooperation and assistance. Instead, a more accurate
indicator would quantify the number of States Parties that include criteria sensitive to gender, age,and disability as part of their cooperation and assistance programmes.
To obtain such information, it is helpful to consult the Preliminary Observations issued by theCommittee on Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance during the 2022 Intersessional
Meetings. On that occasion, the Committee noted that Canada, Switzerland, Türkiye and theNetherlands integrated gender and diversity into their cooperation and assistance efforts.34

34 APMBC Committee on Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance (2022, 20–22 June), Preliminary Observations, https://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2022/IM22-Observations-Coop-Assist.
pdf.

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Article 7 reports on transparency measures are also relevant in this regard. By June 2023, 10 out of 32
States Parties submitting such reports provided information on cooperation, including international,
regional and bilateral efforts. Among those 10, six States Parties provided information about efforts
to ensure that gender and diversity are integrated into cooperation and assistance: Canada, Finland,
Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.35
Regarding international cooperation and assistance, Action 47 underscores the importance ofSouth-to-South cooperation and sharing of best practices and lessons learned. This may include
mutual support for clearance commitments in border areas, sharing of experiences in integrating
gender and diversity considerations into programming, and exchange of equipment and information.
The progress made on this action is evaluated based on the number of States Parties that share
best practices and lessons learned through international, regional, South-to-South, and/or bilateral
cooperation. As of 2023, 10 States Parties reported engaging in such activities—a small increase
from nine States Parties in the previous years.
A C T I O N 4 7 – I N D I C AT O R 1

Number of States Parties that report sharing best practices and lessons learned.
•

2020: 9•2021: 9•2022: 10•2023: 10

This indicator, however, does not reveal whether gender-responsiveness and inclusion are being
promoted in international, regional, South-to- South and/or bilateral cooperation. A more usefulindicator for this action would track the number of States Parties that report sharing best practices
and lessons learned focused on the inclusion of gender, age and disability-sensitive mine action
programming or victim assistance.
The analysis of official reporting on all of the above actions shows that the rate of implementation ofgender-related action points varies significantly. However, none of the action points has achieved 100
per cent of implementation among relevant States Parties. While reporting on actions may be different
from the quality of implementation of those actions, State Parties—particularly those still affected bymines—may face many challenges when it comes to reporting. Some of these are challenges related
to reporting in general such as a lack of capacity, including a lack of dedicated budget or genderexpertise, which States Parties like Chad, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, and Tajikistan
noted at the June 2023 Intersessional Meeting. These types of challenges are exacerbated for States
Parties that are experiencing conflict and insecurity and where national institutions such as Mine
Action Authorities may be significantly weakened or non-existent.

35 APMBC Committee on Cooperation and Assistance (2023, 19–21 June), General Observations on the Status of Cooperation
and Assistance, https://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2023/IM23General-Observations-Cooperation-and-Assistance.pdf.

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4. Views from
Non-Governmental
Organizations in Mine
ActionAlthough the OAP is mainly a road map for States Parties, it can influence the work of other actors in
the field of mine action, such as national, international and regional non-governmental organizations.
Therefore, relevant organizations were invited to contribute to this research, explaining if and how
the OAP has shaped their actions. Contributions were solicited via an email survey. In total, 12 nongovernmental stakeholders took part in this consultation, representing eight organizations:•

Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines (CCCM), a civil society organization based in Colombiathat supports the implementation of the APMBC;•

Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international NGO working in humanitarian demining in
Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine,and Yemen;•

The Gender and Mine Action Programme of the Geneva Center for Humanitarian Demining(GICHD), an international organization that supports national and local authorities, donors, theUnited Nations, other international and regional organizations, NGOs, commercial companies
and academia with advice, research and training;36•

The HALO Trust, an international NGO working in 24 countries globally;37•

Mines Action Canada (MAC), an advocacy organization based in Canada that focuses onhumanitarian disarmament, including mine action;•

Mine Action Group (MAG), an international NGO working in 25 countries globally. 38•

Seguridad Humana en América Latina y el Caribe (SEHLAC), a regional NGO for the Latin America
and Caribbean region supporting humanitarian disarmament through advocacy and research in
the region; and•Mine Action Service of the United Nations (UNMAS) country offices in Colombia, Iraq, South
Sudan and Syria.

This section summarizes the impact that the OAP has had on the work of mine action organizations,based on the responses received. While respondents were not asked to report on specific OAP
actions, their contributions have been consolidated following the same broad areas covered in official
reporting.
36 “Where We Work”, GICHD, https://www.gichd.org/where-we-work/.
37 “Where We Work”, The HALO Trust, https://www.halotrust.org/where-we-work/.
38 “Where We Work”, MAG International, https://www.maginternational.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/.

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4.1 Best Practices for Implementing
the Convention
Organizations were asked to share if and how the OAP had shaped their efforts to take gender, age,disability consideration into account. Some organizations highlighted that the OAP provided a policy
hook to create new initiatives related to gender and diversity mainstreaming in non-technical surveys,
consultations with communities, clearance, EORE, and data collection.
For others, the OAP provided an opportunity to review their own policies and practices on gender anddiversity with the view of improving gender balance, diversity, and inclusion within the organization.
This was the case of MAG, which developed their Global Gender Action Plan 2021–2023 39 and acomprehensive guide on disability inclusion. MAG also introduced gender objectives within its
country programmes and invested in recruiting three gender equality and inclusion advisors who
provide technical support to staff and partners.40 MAG also conducted gender assessments and a
joint stakeholder analysis in eight of their country programmes. Those baseline assessments withlocal partners and national authorities have helped the organization better understand the uniqueneeds and barriers to inclusion in mine action. For DRC, the OAP was also an opportunity to conduct
gender and diversity assessments in Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Libya, and Ukraine with thesupport of the GICHD. Those findings have informed the development of gender action plans andstrategies globally and at country level.

4.2 Survey and Clearanceof Mined Areas
Even before the adoption of the OAP, ensuring the equal participation and inclusion of all affected
populations in mine action has been a priority for several organizations. For CCCM, MAG and UNMASIraq, for example, this meant undertaking specific outreach measures to ensure that consultations
are gender-balanced and that different ethnic, religious or language groups are represented.
Most of the organizations reported carrying out efforts to ensure gender balance in mine clearance,such as developing specific programmes to train women in surveying, mine clearance and explosive
ordinance disposal. For example, DRC-South Sudan enhanced its efforts to train and build capacities
of women deminers through women-only trainings and on-the-job trainings. UNMAS-South Sudan
also mentioned efforts to ensure the inclusion of women staff members in technical roles, as well
as more senior positions. Moreover, UNMAS-Iraq considered the OAP as an opportunity not only

39 “MAG Gender Position Paper and Action Plan 2020-2023”, 2021, internal document shared with UNIDIR on 9 October 2023.
40 Forthcoming, November 2023.

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to promote women’s participation in non-technical surveys and mine clearance, but also ethnic
and religious diversity. In the context of Sinjar, Iraq, this inclusion was important to ensure trust andacceptance by the community.41
The HALO Trust was one of the organizations which already had relevant initiatives before the OAP
and which strengthened and expanded their efforts after the OAP. One of them is the ‘100 Womenin Demining Project’, focused on providing technical training for women. A second initiative wasdeveloped in 2021, also to address gender barriers in the mine action sector. This programme
identified that childcare and related expenses are one of the major obstacles for women in most of thecountries where The HALO Trust works. As a response, childcare stipends, baby boxes and school
kits were made available to more than 500 women working across six demining programmes. Someof the beneficiaries of this programme reported that not only were they able to re-enter the workforce
after giving birth, but this support also allowed them to increase the quality of care and education for
their children (see Box 1).
All of the organizations noted that the emphasis on being more inclusive and ensuring gender balancehas brought about a positive change in the operational culture, influencing how gender is perceived
in the context of mine action. In addition, seeing women in technical and managerial roles, among
others, has contributed to breaking gender stereotypes in the field of mine action and has increased
women’s decision-making power in the household and in the wider community. This has spillover
benefits, as noted by one organization. In Colombia, CCCM noted that, in comparison to men, neweconomic resources acquired by women were more likely to be spent on children, households, andcommunity, thereby enhancing and contributing to socioeconomic development.
It should be noted, however, that despite these efforts women’s participation in clearance
operations—particularly in technical and senior leadership roles—remains low. According to theseorganizations, this can be attributed to several factors, including patriarchal gender norms, theperception that technical roles in mine action are ‘masculinized’, and the fact that some efforts to train
women in clearance have only been made relatively recently and it may take time for them to progress
to leadership roles.

Mine Action Programme in Western Sahara. © Martine Perret / UN

GENDER AND DIVERSITY IN THE APMBC

41 Fadia Murad Ali et al., My Sinjar Reflections, unmas.org/sites/default/files/my_sinjar_reflections.pdf.

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Box 1. The HALO Trust Initiatives to
Empower Women in Mine Action
In 2017, The HALO Trust launched a project in Angola called ‘100 Women in Demining’ to train andemploy all-women demining teams, creating a space for women’s empowerment while clearing
landmines and making land safe. According to The HALO Trust, all the participants are from lowincome communities, and over 80 per cent of the trained and recruited women are single mothers.
As the country rebuilt after conflict, men tended to have more access to employment, education, andhealth services. This type of initiative empowers women to equally participate in reconstruction andbenefit from new employment opportunities. The skills that are learned during the training process are
not limited to mine clearance, and also include vehicle maintenance, mechanics, paramedic first aid,
and leadership.42
By the end of 2020, the all-women teams had cleared 672,703 square meters of land, and destroyed
911 landmines and 67 anti-tank mines. The work of the 100 Women in Demining team has transformed
life for rural communities across Benguela Province, a region highly affected by landmines. After thedemining process, the fields have been converted to crops, paths for children to walk to school were
restored, and vital infrastructures were recovered. Thanks to the dedicated work of HALO Angola’s
100 Women deminers, the land is now safe and can be used to nurture the medicinal plants used by
the hospital. The community will also benefit from the additional land, enabling them to diversify into
growing cash crops like bananas and mangos, yields that will bring much needed income. The presenceof the 100 Women also means that people were able to pass on first-hand accounts of discoveriesof other deadly explosives of war and The HALO Trust was able to destroy any dangerous items.43
The organization conducted a pilot project between 2021 and 2023 in its programmes in Abkhazia,
Afghanistan, Angola, Somaliland, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe to respond to the need to recruit and retain
women in those programmes. The project encompassed the provision of monthly childcare stipends
to new and existing staff who were mothers with young children, and of materials to mothers with newbabies and children starting school. In total, over 505 women were supported with childcare stipends
and 3,686 school supplies kits were provided for children, as well as 454 baby boxes with essential
items. The preliminary results of this project showed that of all women benefited by this initiative; 88 percent reported being satisfied and 97 per cent would recommend working for HALO to another woman.
When asked about their circumstances had they not received the support covered by this grant, 38
per cent of respondents said that they would have had to borrow money/provisions to cover childcare
related expenses, 31 per cent would have had to ask family or friends for support with childcare, andeight per cent would have had to resign from their jobs with The HALO Trust, showing the importanceof targeted approaches to sustaining women’s participation in mine action.44
42 “HALO’s Women Empowerment Pilot Projects – Findings and Case Studies”, July 1 2021–June 30 2023, document sharedby Halo Trust with UNIDIR.
43 “100 Women in Demining in Angola Celebrate a Milestone”, The HALO Trust, 4 April 2021, https://www.halotrust.org/
latest/halo-updates/stories/100-women-in-demining-a-celebrate-milestone/; “100 Women in Demining in Angola”, The
HALO Trust, https://www.halotrust.org/latest/special-projects/100-women-in-angola/.
44 “HALO’s Women Empowerment Pilot Projects – Findings and Case Studies”, July 1 2021–June 30 2023, document sharedby Halo Trust with UNIDIR.

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4.3 Mine Risk Education
and Reduction
Several organizations are involved in mine risk education and reduction and have stated that theytake into account gender, age, and disability during needs assessment, planning and implementationof the risk education and risk reduction activities. Across the board this has resulted in designing
programmes that are context-specific and tailored to the diverse needs of the populations with which
they work. For instance, organizations may decide on the composition of the teams engaging with thecommunity based on the local context. In Sudan, where DRC operates, EORE workshops are being
led by women personnel to encourage greater participation among women.
UNMAS-South Sudan has made efforts to ensure that teams delivering EORE are gender balanced.
This has led to better engagement from the community. Beyond gender, other diversity considerations
were also taken into account by UNMAS. For example, in Colombia, EORE workshops in indigenous
communities consider their cultural norms and gender roles, which may be different from othercommunities. In Iraq, a baseline study of risk-taking behaviour in Mosul concluded that youth andadolescents were the most at risk. As a result, UNMAS and partner organizations decided to support
the renovation of a community park in the city as a way to attract youth away from contaminatedzones.
Many organizations noted that Action 29 of the OAP, encouraging tailored mine risk education andreduction, has shaped programming and public messaging, which increased the organization’s
reach across different segments of the population, ultimately leading to reduced accidents and lossof life. According to UNMAS-Iraq, tailored approaches to risk education have resulted in greatercommunity acceptance of mine action, which was associated with strengthen local ownership andengagement in mine action efforts and contributed to the sustainability of UNMAS-Iraq’s programmes.
Several organizations also stated that they have been collecting disaggregated data on
the communities in which they serve. UNMAS-Iraq, for example, noted that collecting data
disaggregated by sex, age, ethnicity, and disability has allowed for a more comprehensive
assessment of needs and the programme’s impacts. UNMAS-Colombia stated that this type of datacollection has motivated their own organization, as well as their partners, to gain better insights into
the communities’ differential needs, allowing for more tailored approaches in subsequent EORE
programmes. In line with Action 35 of the OAP, some organizations have also established centralized
databases to track the impacts of explosive hazards on different age and gender groups. This has
enabled tailored approaches to risk education and supports the prioritization process for survey andclearance work.

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33Campaign to raise awareness about the threat of explosive hazards in northern Mali © Sonia Pezier/UNMAS

Although progress should be assessed on a contextual basis, all of the organizations that responded
to UNIDIR’s call for input stated that the most progress on gender and diversity mainstreaming in mine
action has been in mine risk education and reduction, where risk education activities have been morediverse in terms of gender, age and varied social groups, allowing for more tailored approaches which
has resulted in greater impact from these programmes. Nevertheless, one respondent underscoredthat, in their context, women and girls are not being adequately included in EORE due to cultural
norms. Additionally, the issue of reaching men and boys as part of EORE was raised as a challenge
by a few of the organizations, who underscored the need to have specific strategies to effectively
engage with men, and perceptions of masculinities and risk-taking behaviour in mine action.

4.4 Victim Assistance
The majority of organizations did not engage directly in the provision of victim assistance. However,a number of organizations are active in supporting States Parties in victim assistance by providing
services, technical advice, capacity-building and/or carrying out advocacy activities in this area.45
In Colombia, CCCM noted that, although disaggregated data collection has improved, it did not
automatically translate into better prioritization and planning for victim assistance. This shows theimportance of creating a culture of data-driven policies in victim assistance, going beyond datacollection.

45 For example, in addition to facilitating access to services and providing dedicated services to people injured, survivors, otherpeople with disabilities, and the families of people injured or killed, Humanity & Inclusion has developed guidance on how to
implement victim assistance obligations prior to the adoption of the OAP.

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4.5 International Cooperation
and AssistanceSeveral organizations reported being involved since the adoption of the OAP in regional and/orSouth-to-South cooperation with the aim of sharing best practices and lessons learned for genderand diversity mainstreaming in the mine action sector. This cooperation included activities such asdelivering trainings in neighbouring countries, as well as cross-regional exchanges. For example,
UNMAS-Iraq has delivered basic explosive hazard first responder training to personnel from theGovernment Yemen.46 CCCM has provided cross-regional support to organizations in the Middle
East with a focus on mine action, peacebuilding, and disarmament.
According to SEHLAC, the OAP influenced the creation of a regional network called the Latin
American Network of Persons with Disabilities and Survivors of Landmine and Explosive Remnantsof War Accidents.vThe main purpose of this network is to reduce the gap in unemployment
rates of persons with disabilities and guarantee that they become part of the region’s economic
growth. The network also advocates for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities andtheir recognition, and comprehensive response and humanitarian assistance to victims,
survivors and disabled persons due to landmine and explosive remnants of war accidents.
The OAP has also opened up new funding streams for cooperation programmes. For example, MAC
noted that new funding streams became available for gender and diversity mainstreaming, which has
allowed them to sustain and enhance the Youth Mine Action Fellows programme, a capacity-building
initiative directed at young leaders in mine action (see Box 2). UNMAS-Colombia also reported being
able to recruit for a gender assistant role in 2023 thanks to dedicated funding. That role facilitatedcapacity-building in gender and diversity mainstreaming not only for UNMAS-Colombia but also
their local their partners. This raised awareness of gender and diversity among mine action partners
in Colombia and facilitated systemic and strategic coordination on these issues through regular
discussion and cooperation. The role also has facilitated the monitoring and evaluation of genderand diversity work in the country both for UNMAS and its partners.

46 “The UNMAS Annual Report 2022”, UNMAS, 2022, https://www.unmas.org/sites/default/files/unmas_annual_
report_2022.pdf, p. 116.

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35Box 2. Powering the Future:
Mines Action Canada’s Youth Fellows
The Youth Mine Action Fellows is a programme developed by MAC which gathers a group of dedicatedand experienced youth leaders in mine action from all over the world and gives them support in various
capacities. The network is constituted by approximately 80 young professionals that are working,volunteering, or interested in mine action, and particularly focuses on young women from affected
countries. The aim of the programme is to facilitate and engage youth in disarmament, diplomacy,
and leadership. Additionally, the fellows participate in different international forums and meetings,
giving them the opportunity to share their views with decision makers. In 2022, the forums happenedon the sidelines of the APMBC Intersessional Meetings, the tenth Meeting of States Parties to theConvention on Cluster Munitions, and the twentieth Meeting of States Parties of the APMBC.
The project has made an impact on the professional lives of the fellows themselves as well as in theimplementation of the APMBC at the multilateral and national levels. For example, some fellows
reported using the knowledge and skills they acquired as Youth Fellows to call on their governments
to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Fellows not only gained the confidence
to approach their national governments, but they also began to make linkages between theirnational practices and commitments at the multilateral level. Examples of this include encouraging
governments to make Article 7 reports public and making connections between States and NGOs
using the network they acquired through the programme. On the professional level many Fellows
credited the programme with increasing their knowledge and confidence which has allowed them toprogress in their careers and to improve their work in mine action by lobbying their governments, andbeing creative with their EORE and community outreach activities.47

Mine Action Fellows participate in the 2019 Fourth Review Conference of the APMBC, in Oslo. © AP Mine Ban Convention ISU.

47 “Mine Action Fellows Report of 2022 Activities”, Mines Action Canada, https://assets.nationbuilder.com/
minesactioncanada/pages/431/attachments/original/1676559879/MAF_Activities_Report_2022.pdf?1676559879.

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4.6 Key Enabling Factors
Stakeholders were asked to identify key factors that allow them to advance gender and diversity
mainstreaming in their work. Responses highlighted the importance of internal factors, such as
institutional commitments to work on gender mainstreaming as a specific area of work. Suchcommitments included gender and diversity organizational strategies, gender-responsive policies
in the area of procurement, established quotas for men and women’s participation in technical roles,
and strong commitment and support from the leadership of their organization as well as in-housegender expertise or focal points. According to stakeholders, these commitments allowed them toestablish specific objectives in line with the OAP.
In terms of external factors, host country support for gender equality was identified as a key enabling
factor in the implementation and sustainability of gender-related programmes. Nearly all surveyedorganizations identified donor support and funding as a key enabling factor as well—in particular, theprovision of targeted funding for specific projects to promote women’s participation in the mine action
sector or to link mine action to other policy priorities, such as achieving Sustainable Development
Goal 5 or implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda.
Another enabling factor identified was the practice of conducting baseline gender analysis and/or
the inclusion of gender-related indicators in project proposals. This was seen as a way to improve thework of the organization, as well as partners, such as national mine action authorities. The availabilityof expert guidance and support for gender and diversity mainstreaming, as provided by in theInternational Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and the GICHD, was also noted as a key enabling factor.

4.7 Main Challenges
While stakeholders noted progress in gender and diversity mainstreaming in the mine action sector,
they also identified persistent challenges. For example, many organizations recognized that genderinequalities and patriarchal norms hinder their gender and diversity efforts. It appears that there is
still a lack of awareness about why and how gender and diversity matter in mine action, especially on
the part of actors are not familiar with work on the ground.
In Colombia, CCCM identified gender norms as a challenge towards inclusion and representation of
LGBTQI+ people in consultations and meetings about mine action but also in relation to the inclusionof women in mine clearance and technical training.
Some organizations noted that, while gender- and age-specific impacts have been relatively wellunderstood, the same is not true for other diversity factors, such as disability, sexual orientationand identity, ethnic or religious identity. In the context of the APMBC, it seems striking that manyorganizations noted a lack of specific guidance on the inclusion of other diversity factors beyond
gender and in particular when it comes to collecting data on disability.

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37Financial resources, in particular, a lack of multi-year funding to address underlying inequality issues
was also identified as a challenge. This may be connected to another challenge highlighted byrespondents: a lack of dedicated capacity to focus on gender and diversity mainstreaming. Often therole of gender focal point will be given to personnel on top of existing responsibilities, which results inhigh workloads and not enough capacity to implement gender and diversity efforts.
In addition to budgetary constraints, lack of capacity may be connected to a low levels of institutional
commitment to gender equality and/or a lack of monitoring and accountability frameworks. According
to one respondent, the implementation of gender and diversity mainstreaming is rarely assessed overtime. This hinders the implementation of organizational commitments and prevents the exchange ofbest practices and lessons learned in mine action as well.

Ajdabiya City, Libya. A display of different sorts of explosive remnants. © Giovanni
3 8Diffidenti

5. Looking Ahead:
Charting Priorities for
the Next Action Plan
In 2024, States Parties will meet in Cambodia for the Fifth Review Conference of the APMBC. On thatoccasion, they will review progress towards a mine-free world and discuss a new Action Plan to help
achieve that goal.
The analysis presented in this report has shown that the OAP offers a solid base for gender anddiversity mainstreaming and, thus, it already provides States Parties with a strong starting point. In
fact, several actions and indicators remain a work in progress and therefore could be carried forward
into the new Action Plan. These include indicators to:•

Monitor the gender component of national work plans and strategies;•

Track gender balance at meetings;•

Assess whether inclusive consultations are taking place;•

Ensure the delivery of EORE programmes to all segments of the population; and•Encourage and support data collection disaggregated by gender, age and disability.

Keeping such indicators in the next Action Plan would help sustain gains and strengthen genderand diversity mainstreaming. Additionally, improvements could be made in order to make actions
and indicators more specific, with a view to improving the quality of reporting and on the ground
implementation of the Convention as well. Ideas for improvement, as well as potential new areas foraction, are presented below.

3 9 Farran.
Commemoration of the International Day of Mine Awareness in North Darfur. © UN Photo/Albert González

5.1 Women’s Participation in
APMBC Diplomacy and in
Mine Action
Although there have been notable improvements regarding women’s participation in all areas of mine
action including policy- and decision-making forums, mine risk reduction and education, and survey
and clearance, these gains are not irreversible. In Afghanistan, for instance, hard-earned progress
combatting gender stereotypes and challenging gender norms by including women in technical roles,
through all-women demining teams,48 abruptly ended when the Taliban came to power in 2021. Since
then, women have been prevented from taking part in almost every aspect of public life including
working with humanitarian agencies and NGOs in most of the country.49 The example of Afghanistan
serves as a reminder that tailored efforts to promote women’s participation must be continuously
sustained even when progress has been made.
Thus, it is important to keep monitoring the level of women’s participation in mine action including
the percentage of women as delegates in APMBC Meetings, as this can enhance accountability andcontribute to better decision-making. If States Parties would like to go further, they could set specifictargets for women’s participation in APMBC Meetings such as Intersessional Meetings and Meetingsof State Parties.
Likewise, efforts to support women’s participation in implementation activities, such as EORE, nontechnical surveys, and landmine clearance, must continue. As such efforts are not directly mentioned
in the OAP, an indicator of women’s employment in mine action could be reflected in the new Action
Plan, as well as recognition of the important progress made in this area and the importance of having
women and mixed-gender teams in all areas of mine action.

5.2 Diversity and Inclusion
Several respondents stated that more could be done beyond gender to advance diversity andinclusion considerations in the APMBC. Some argued that, thus far, most efforts have focused on
women’s experience and proposed that such efforts be complemented by initiatives that also examine
how gender intersects with other aspects, such as disability, sexual orientation, ethnic and racial
identity, as well as social economic status. This situation was highlighted by some of the mine action

48 Susannah Rosenblatt, “Innovation in Action: Brave Afghan Women Clear Landmines, Make History”, United Nations
Foundation, 4 November 2019, https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/innovation-in-action-brave-afghan-women-clearlandmines-make-history.
49 “Afghanistan: Taliban Blocking Female Aid Workers”, Human Rights Watch, 4 November 2021, https://www.hrw.org/
news/2021/11/04/afghanistan-taliban-blocking-female-aid-workers. a.

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40

stakeholders, who suggested that in particular more could be done to include survivors and support
disability inclusion. This is evident in the fact that no State Party reported including mine victims intheir delegations in the past four years, despite that being an indicator of the OAP.
To advance inclusion efforts, it would be important to enhance disability data systems and develop
specific guidance, for example using the Washington group set of questions on disabilities in thecontext of mine action and support in this area. Moreover, it is crucial to continue to advocate for the
inclusion of survivors in national, regional and multilateral dialogues on mine action.50

5.3 Post-clearance
As part of the suggestions collected in this research, it was proposed that the next Action Plan could
go beyond objectives and indicators on land clearance and also address issues of land release—for
example, the elaboration and implementation of municipal plans regarding post-clearance land use
from a gender and diversity perspective. This could be monitored through an indicator focused on thenumber of productive projects supported, or implemented by women, after land release.
Tracking productive projects supported after land release provides a potential indicator related toequitable outcomes. But indicators alone may not drive real change—operational guidance on how
to conduct gender analysis and develop gender-sensitive post-clearance land allocation plans could
help spur implementation of equitable approaches.

5.4 International Cooperation
and Assistance
As one respondent noted, “advancing gender and diversity does not come for free”. In fact, this typeof work is usually supported by voluntary funding committed as part of international cooperation andassistance, which often varies according to a country’s foreign assistance priorities.
States in a position to do so could provide sustained financial support for gender and diversity
mainstreaming. This could be monitored in the new Action Plan by including an indicator tracking thepercentage of budgetary allocations for gender and diversity mainstreaming as part of international
cooperation and assistance.
Funding for victim assistance is also a challenge, as it is often highlighted by affected States in APMBC
Meetings. There are calls for increased resources for emergency support and ongoing medicalcare, rehabilitation services, psychological and psychosocial support, physiotherapy, occupational
therapy, vocational training skills, and community service.
50 “Planning Checklist: Using the Washington Group Questions in Humanitarian Action”, Humanity & Inclusion, 2018, https://www.humanity-inclusion.org.uk/sn_uploads/document/2018-Planning-checklist-using-the-WGQs-leaflet-Final.pdf.

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41

Cambodian deminers in Lebanon. © UN Photo/Pasqual Gorriz.

Cooperation not only encompasses funding but also the sharing of best practices in gender anddiversity mainstreaming, with the current Action plan emphasizing South-to-South cooperation.
While many stakeholders are engaged in cooperation in the form of technical capacity-building,more opportunities can be created to share best practices for increasing women’s participationin technical roles, data-collection specifically on practices and guidance related to other identity
factors beyond gender, the establishment of a centralized database for victim assistance, and theinclusion of survivors and people with disabilities into discussions about implementing the APMBC.

5.5 Synergies with the Women,
Peace and Security Agenda
Gender mainstreaming in mine action addresses all four pillars of the WPS agenda: participation,
prevention, protection, and relief and recovery. Through ensuring women’s participation inpolicymaking related to mine action and their employment in different roles, gender mainstreaming
contributes to the participation pillar. Gender- and diversity-sensitive education on the risks oflandmines contributes to preventing injuries and saving lives, especially of women and girls, anddemining contributes to the prevention of and protection from armed violence. Gender-sensitive
victim assistance and land release contributes to more equitable relief and recovery efforts.51
In order to ensure policy coordination and to build on synergies, the new Action Plan could include anindicator addressing synergies between the APMBC and the WPS Agenda. This could be monitored
by tracking the number of States that have included mine action-related goals in their 1325 National
Action Plans. Moreover, States Parties could be encouraged to include WPS focal points in thedevelopment of their national strategies on mine action.

51“Factsheet: Gender and Diversity in the APMBC”, GICHD and UNIDIR, 2023, https://unidir.org/GenderAPMBC.

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6. Conclusions
This report has demonstrated that the Oslo Action Plan provides a solid base for gender and diversity
mainstreaming. It can pave the way for a strong, new Action Plan, one that could include many of
the gender-related action points of the OAP but also revised and new indicators, providing an evenbetter matrix to monitor progress and impact. In order to encourage and facilitate reporting, States
Parties could agree to limit the number of indicators per action to one or two. The indicators could bequantitative, while also allowing space for States to provide a qualitative assessment of impact.
It is clear that much progress has been made in ensuring women’s participation in the implementationof the APMBC thanks to targeted and tailored initiatives. States Parties should continue to support
initiatives that promote women’s participation, as well as employment, in mine action—particularly
training and mentorship programmes that promote women’s inclusion and leadership in technicalareas of mine action and track this participation at various levels.
While gender and age considerations in mine action programming have been relatively wellunderstood and implemented, mine action stakeholders should turn their attention to integrating other
different diversity factors such as disability or sexual orientation into their programming. Specificinitiatives to promote capacity-building on gender and diversity analysis should be encouraged for all
stakeholders involved in mine action, including government entities, NGOs, implementing partners,
and international donors. This could include supporting the creation of guidance specifically related
to diversity factors, such as disability inclusion.
The good news is that States Parties can count on a network of support to develop and implement
these actions, including the ISU, the APMBC Gender Focal Points and mine action organizations.
Working together, all of these stakeholders can strengthen the humanitarian legacy of the APMBC
and reaffirm their commitment to a mine-free, equal and just future at the Fifth Review Conference, in
Cambodia.

C O N C LU S I O N S

43

Annex A.

Copy of the UNIDIR Survey andlist of participating organizations
In order to gather additional information and suggestions, a short questionnaire was circulated to
APMBC States Parties and stakeholders in June–July 2023. It comprised six questions, presented
below.
1.

How has the Oslo Action Plan guided your work on gender and diversity mainstreaming? Please
describe the most significant actions or initiatives your organization has undertaken to align with
the Oslo Action Plan. If you are a donor State how has the OAP influenced/changed the way you
decide on funding programmes

2.

What impacts on programme delivery and results (both short and medium term) have you seenfrom implementing these actions and initiatives? If you are a donor State, what impact have you
seen from aligning your funding decisions with OAP? We welcome any quantitative and qualitative(case studies) analysis you may be able to share.

3.

What have been the enabling factors supporting the implementation of the actions/initiatives
mentioned in question 1? (This could be related to organizational commitment and leadership,
host country support, funding, data and analysis, etc.)

4.

What have been the main challenges your organization has faced when implementing gender anddiversity mainstreaming in the context of the APMBC? (This could be related to organizational
commitment and leadership, host country support, funding, data and analysis, etc.)

5.

In your view, what areas of mine action have seen the most progress for gender and diversity
mainstreaming and what areas have seen less progress? Why? (Possible areas for consideration
may include mine risk education and reduction, survey and clearance, victim assistance,international cooperation and assistance and best practices for implementing the Convention).

6.

In your view, what language/commitments/indicators should be included in the next APMBC Action
Plan in order to sustain gains and advance gender and diversity mainstreaming in mine action?
What kind of programmes and initiatives could help to improve implementation and accountability
in this area?

DangerSign
ANNE
X Ain DRC.4 ©
4 UNMAS

List of respondents•

Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority•

Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines•

Congolese Mine Action Center•

Danish Refugee Council, Headquarters Office•

Danish Refugee Council, Programme in Sudan•

Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland•

Federal Foreign Office, Germany•

Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining•

Global Affairs Canada•

Mines Action Canada•

Mine Action Group•

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia•

Red de Seguridad Humana para América Latina y el Caribe (SEHLAC)•

The HALO Trust•

Turkish Mine Action Centre•

UNMAS, Programme in Colombia•

UNMAS, Programme in Iraq•

UNMAS, Programme in South Sudan•

UNMAS, Programme in Syria•

Zambia Mine Action Centre

45

Annex B.

Oslo Action Plan:
Selected Actions on Gender, Diversity andInclusion
ACTIONSI N D I C AT O R S

BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CONVENTION

Action 3 – Ensure that the different needs
and perspectives of women, girls, boys andmen are considered and inform all areas ofConvention implementation and mine action
programmes, in order to deliver an inclusive

The percentage of affected States Parties
whose national work plans and strategies
integrate gender and take the diverse needs
and experiences of people in affected
communities into account.

approach. Strive to remove barriers to full,equal and gender balanced participation inmine action and in Convention meetings.

The percentage of women in States Parties’delegations attending Convention meetings.

Action 4 – Take into consideration the needs

The percentage of affected States Partiesof mine survivors and affected communities

that report having developed their nationaland ensure their meaningful participation in

strategies and work plans in an inclusive

all Convention related matters, including theirmanner.

equal and active participation in Convention
meetings.

The number of mine victims participating as
parts of delegations to Convention meetings.
The percentage of States Parties with asignificant number of victims that report thatthey include victim organizations in victim
assistance planning at the national and local
level.

ANNEX B46

SURVEY AND CLEARANCE OF MINED AREAS

Action 18 – States Parties that have not yet

The percentage of affected States Parties

done so will identify the precise perimeterthat have established an accurate andof mined areas, to the extent possible,

evidence-basedand establish evidence-based, accurate

no later than the Nineteenth Meeting of thebaselinesonStates Parties in 2021 (and by each year

information collected from all relevant

thereafter if not all affected States Parties

sources no later than by the Nineteenth

have done so by 19MSP).

ofcontamination

based

contamination

baseline

Meeting of the States Parties in 2021.
The percentage of affected States Parties
who report having established their baseline
through inclusive consultations with women,
girls, boys and men.

M I N E R I S K E D U C AT I O N A N D R E D U C T I O N

Action 29 – Provide context-specific mine

The percentage of affected States Parties

risk education and reduction programmesthat report having mine risk education

to all affected populations and groups

and reduction programmes for all affected

at risk. Ensure that such programmes

populations in place.

are developed on the basis of a needs
assessment, that they are tailored to thethreat encountered by the population,and that they are sensitive to gender,
age, disability and take the diverse needs
and experiences of people in affected

The percentage of States Parties thatreport carrying out mine risk education andreduction activities that collect, analyse andreport data disaggregated by gender, age,communities into account.

disability and other diverse needs.

Action 32 – Report on mine risk education

The number of States Parties reportingand other risk reduction programmeson their mine risk education and other risk

inreduction programmes and results.

Article7

reports,

includingthemethodologies used, the challenges faced
and the results achieved, with information
disaggregated by gender and age.

ANNEX B47

V I C T I M A S S I S TA N C E

Action 33 – Ensure that a relevant

The number of States Parties that havegovernment entity is assigned to oversee

designatedthe integration of victim assistance into

coordinate victim assistance activities.

broadernational

policies,

plans

a

government

entitytoandlegal frameworks. The assigned entity
will develop an action plan and monitor

The number of States Parties that haveand report on implementation based onnational action plans in place containing

specific, measurable, realistic and time-

specific, measurable, achievable, realistic

bound objectives to support mine victims.

and time-bound objectives and relatedThis involves the removal of physical,

indicators.

social, cultural, political, attitudinal andcommunication barriers to access suchservices; and the use of an approach thatis inclusive of gender, age and disability
and takes diverse needs into account inplanning, implementation, monitoring andevaluation of all programmes.
Action 35 – Establish or strengthenacentralized

databasethat

includesinformation on persons killed by mines aswell as on persons injured by mines and

The number of States Parties that include
victims of anti-personnel mines in disability
data systems.

their needs and challenges, disaggregatedby gender, age and disability, and makethis

information

availabletorelevant

stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive
response to addressing the needs of mineThenumberofStatesPartiesthat

disaggregate victim data by gender, age
and disability.

victims.

ANNEX B48

I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O O P E R AT I O N A N D A S S I S TA N C E

Action 45 – States Parties in a position

The number of States Parties that reportto do so will provide assistance to otherproviding financial or other support toStates Parties in the implementation of theiraffected States Parties .

obligations under the Convention, in linewith their development policies. In doing
so, they will support the implementation ofclear, evidence-based national strategies
and work plans that respond to the diverse
needs and experiences of people in affected
communities and are built on sound gender,
age and disability analysis. Support to victim

The number of States Parties that reportproviding support to victim assistancethrough the mine action budget and/or
making support available to victims, on an
equal basis with others, as part of broader
development and humanitarian efforts.

assistance can be provided through the mine
action budget, and/or through integrating
victimassistanceinto

broaderdevelopment and humanitarian efforts.

The number of States Parties that reportproviding

supporttomine

clearance

activities.

Action47–

Continuously

exploreThe number of States Parties that reportopportunities for cooperation, including

sharing best practices and lessons learnt

international,

regionalandbilateral,

through international, regional, South-to-cooperation

betweenaffected

StatesSouth and/or bilateral cooperation.

Parties or South-to-South, with a view tovoluntary sharing of best practices andlessons learned. Cooperation of this kindmay include making mutually supporting
clearance commitments in border areas,
sharing experience of integrating gender andtaking the diverse needs and experiencesof people in affected communities into
account into programming, and, in line with
Article 6, exchanging equipment, materialand scientific and technological information(or donating them after one State Party
reaches completion) in order to promote
the implementation of the Convention.

ANNEX B49

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