Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/584 of 16 March 2026 in support of building African capacities towards a mine-free Africa
Date: 2026-03-16
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Africa, EU action, anti-personnel weapon, arms control, international convention, mine action, non-proliferation of arms, stockpiling of weapons, weapons' destruction




L_202600584EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/584


17.3.2026







            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2026/584
         
of 16 March 2026
         
in support of building African capacities towards a mine-free Africa


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 28(1) and Article 31(1) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


The Union should work towards a high degree of cooperation in all fields of international relations, in order to preserve peace, prevent conflicts and strengthen international security, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.












(2)


The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (the ‘Convention’) entered into force on 1 March 1999 and constitutes the central international framework for ending the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.












(3)


On 15 December 2016, the European Council adopted the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, and Union support for the implementation of the Convention would contribute to the greater human security envisaged in that Strategy.












(4)


On 10 December 2019, the Council adopted conclusions entitled ‘Building a sustainable Europe by 2030 – Progress thus far and next steps’ in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations, and its Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, the Union has consistently supported the universalisation and implementation of the Convention through a series of Council Decisions, including Decisions (CFSP) 2017/1428 (1), (CFSP) 2020/905 (2), (CFSP) 2021/257 (3) and (CFSP) 2025/781 (4).












(5)


On 27 May 2024, the Council adopted conclusions on an EU position on strengthening the ban against anti-personnel mines in view of the Fifth Review Conference of the Convention.












(6)


At the Fifth Review Conference of the Convention, held in Siem Reap-Angkor, Cambodia, in 2024, the States Parties to the Convention adopted the Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan 2025–2029, which provides a roadmap for the implementation and universalisation of the Convention building on the achievements of previous Action Plans.












(7)


On 14 April 2025, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2025/781 in support of the Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan 2025–2029,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1

1.   The Union shall support mine-affected States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (the ‘Convention’) in Africa in strengthening national mine clearance capacities and in fulfilling their obligations under Article 5 of the Convention while meeting the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Union shall implement that support through an operational action.


2.   The objective of the Union operational action referred to in paragraph 1 shall be to contribute to human security by supporting the implementation of the Convention, in accordance with the objectives of the Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan 2025–2029 and of the European Security Strategy.


3.   A detailed description of the operational action referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article is set out in the Annex.



Article 2
In order to achieve the objective of the Union operational action referred to in Article 1(2), the Union shall support the following specific objectives:






(a)


strengthening the efforts of States Parties to the Convention in Africa to fulfil their mine clearance obligations under Article 5 of the Convention through capacity-building;










(b)


promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise related to the implementation of Article 5 of the Convention;










(c)


demonstrating the commitment of the Union and its Member States to the objectives of the Convention and ensuring appropriate visibility of that commitment.






Article 3

1.   The High Representative for the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (the ‘High Representative’) shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision.


2.   The technical implementation of the projects related to the specific objectives set out in Article 2 shall be entrusted to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in partnership with the Mines Advisory Group.


3.   UNIDIR shall implement the projects related to the specific objectives referred to in Article 2 under the responsibility of the High Representative. For that purpose, the High Representative shall enter into the necessary arrangements with UNIDIR.



Article 4

1.   The financial reference amount for the implementation of the operational action referred to in Article 1 shall be EUR 3 000 000,36.


2.   The expenditure financed by the reference amount set out in paragraph 1 shall be managed in accordance with the rules and procedures applicable to the general budget of the Union.


3.   The Commission shall supervise the proper management of the expenditure referred to in paragraph 2. For that purpose, it shall conclude the necessary agreement with UNIDIR. That agreement shall stipulate that UNIDIR is to ensure identification and visibility of the Union contribution that are commensurate with the size of the contribution.


4.   The Commission shall endeavour to conclude the agreement referred to in paragraph 3 as soon as possible after the entry into force of this Decision. It shall inform the Council of any difficulties in that process and of the date of conclusion of the agreement.


5.   UNIDIR shall implement the operational action referred to in Article 1 in accordance with the Decision on strengthening financial governance and transparency within the Implementation Support Unit, adopted at the Fourteenth Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention in 2015. UNIDIR shall provide, amongst others, reporting, narrative and quarterly reports, as well as a logical framework and activity matrix as set out in the Annex.



Article 5

1.   The High Representative shall report to the Council on the implementation of this Decision on the basis of regular reports prepared by UNIDIR. Those reports shall form the basis for an evaluation to be carried out by the Council.


2.   The Commission shall provide to the Council information on the financial aspects of the implementation of this Decision.



Article 6

1.   This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.


2.   This Decision shall expire 36 months after the date of conclusion of the agreement referred to in Article 4(3) or six months after the date of its entry into force if no such agreement has been concluded within that period.





Done at Brussels, 16 March 2026.


For the Council


The President

K. KALLAS
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/1428 of 4 August 2017 in support of the implementation of the Maputo Action Plan for the implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (OJ L 204, 5.8.2017, p. 101, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2017/1428/oj).

(2)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/905 of 29 June 2020 amending Decision (CFSP) 2017/1428 in support of the implementation of the Maputo Action Plan for the implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (OJ L 207, 30.6.2020, p. 35, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2020/905/oj).

(3)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/257 of 18 February 2021 in support of the Oslo Action Plan for the implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (OJ L 58, 19.2.2021, p. 41, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/257/oj).

(4)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/781 of 14 April 2025 in support of the Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan for the implementation of the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (OJ L, 2025/781, 15.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/781/oj).




ANNEX



PROJECT DOCUMENT
Working towards a mine-free Africa: Building African capacity to remove threats posed by anti-personnel landmines to peace, security and development


Background & rationale

The international community has provided billions of dollars in response to requests for international cooperation and assistance to support States in fulfilling their Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) obligations. This support has enabled the clearing of large areas of mine-affected land and destroyed large quantities of anti-personnel mines in fragile, low-capacity, and conflict-affected settings. These efforts have removed threats to civilian well-being, reduced the human cost of these weapons, and laid the foundations for peace, security and sustainable development.
Despite all efforts globally, thirty-three APMBC States Parties have outstanding Article 5 completion obligations. In the lead-up to the Fifth Review Conference of the States Parties, key stakeholders noted that the needs of many State Parties that had submitted Article 5 extension requests for completing the destruction of anti-personnel landmines in their countries were not being met (1). Most bilateral State donors understandably focus their efforts on State Parties with the most acute risks and human suffering caused by these weapons. Many other States Parties have comparatively low or medium levels of contamination and have struggled to secure sufficient national or international funding to conduct surveys and clearance activities. It is for such cases that the Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan (SRAAP) 2025-2029 includes a provision to ‘explore the feasibility of establishing a voluntary trust fund to support affected States Parties struggling to secure international assistance for their legal and time-bound commitments under Article 5 of the Convention’
                      (2).
Sixteen of the thirty-three States Parties with outstanding Article 5 obligations are African (3). Nine African countries have provided detailed, costed, and multi-year work plans to fulfil their Article 5 obligations (4). Five have received the smallest levels of mine action funding during 2019-2023 (Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal), and one (Guinea-Bissau) no or minimal funding since 2018. Some of these States are close to completion. For example, Guinea-Bissau reportedly needs just over USD 7,5 million to fulfil its Article 5 obligations, Mauritania USD 3,7 million, and Senegal USD 8,9 million (5).
The proposed action seeks to enable African States Parties to fulfil their outstanding Article 5 obligations and show that mine action continues to save lives and enable sustainable development. Africa is therefore a continent in which the EU and its Member States can focus to support innovative approaches ‘to assist our partners in achieving our common goal of a mine-free world’
                      (6). The goal and objectives of this action are closely aligned with the mandate received by the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) from Member States (7), and with the research strategy of UNIDIR’s Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme (CAAP). UNIDIR’s CAAP will implement this action in close coordination with the APMBC-Implementation Support Unit (APMBC-ISU) and in cooperation with the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and other relevant stakeholders.
1.   Goal & objectives

The overall goal and the two corresponding and connected, linked objectives of this initiative and action, which as noted are closely aligned with the mandate of UNIDIR, are the following:






 



Overall goal: To support five of the African States receiving the least international cooperation and assistance to fulfil their Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) Article 5 obligations.










 



Objective 1. Build national capacity in up to five African States to fulfil their APMBC Article 5 obligations.










 



Objective 2. Promote and support the exchange of knowledge and experience on building African national capacity to implement APMBC obligations.




2.   Approach: Results, beneficiaries & activities

To achieve these two connected and linked objectives, the proposed action contains two work-packages (i.e., activities, outputs, expected results/outcomes). The action’s emphasis and primary focus is to build and strengthen national capacity in up to five African States to fulfil their APMBC Article 5 obligations (objective one) and become ‘mine-free’. The systematic documentation of experiences and the capture of challenges, effective measures, practices, and lessons learned from doing so generate valuable and useful knowledge. Objective two ensures that this knowledge is shared, promoted, and exchanged for the benefit of other APMBC States Parties and Member States, as well as with the international community at large.
2.1.   Build national capacity in up to five African States to fulfil their APMBC Article 5 obligations

UNIDIR will oversee the delivery of gender-responsive national capacity-building assistance to up to five African States Parties that have:






—


indicated that they are close to fulfilling their Article 5 obligations, and










—


for which decisions by the Meetings of States Parties have granted extensions.




UNIDIR will work closely with the APMBC-ISU as well as EU Delegations in African partner countries to build African national capacity. Given the target beneficiary States and types of activities envisaged in their extension requests and plans, UNIDIR will work with a strategic non-governmental mine action operator that has existing or recent operations and presences in the targeted countries, the Mines Advisory Group. This will help ensure that capacity-building for survey and clearance activities can commence quickly, without the need to use limited resources to establish a new in-country presence. The emphasis here is to enable partner countries to assume full national ownership of efforts to fulfil their Article 5 obligations in a sustainable manner.
2.1.1.   Results







—



Up to two African states fulfil their APMBC Article 5 obligations and submit a voluntary declaration of completion of mine clearance with this action’s support.










—



Three other African States make progress in fulfilling APMBC Article 5 obligations.










—


Relevant information will be provided in annual APMBC Article 7 reports and in their extension requests to the Article 5 Committee.




Progress will vary from one State to another, influenced by security situations (e.g. access to contaminated areas), ownership, and complementary assistance provided by others. It may include one or more African APMBC States Parties being able to declare completion of Article 5 obligations, while others can release land and declare provinces or areas ‘mine-free’, meet other interim targets set in Article 5 extensions (8) and national plans, and have credible, identified pathways towards completion (9). All of the action’s beneficiary States will have strengthened national capacity to manage remaining Article 5 obligations sustainably.
2.1.2.   Beneficiaries & targets

The primary beneficiaries and targeted States are five African States that have provided detailed, costed, and multi-year work plans in extension requests to fulfil their APMBC Article 5 obligations, but which have received low levels of international assistance: Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, South Sudan and Zimbabwe. In late October 2025, UNIDIR contacted these potential beneficiary States to inform them and seek expressions of interest in this proposed action (10). By the end of December 2025, the Institute received five positive responses (11). The ultimate beneficiaries are people, communities, and individuals including women, men, girls and boys, who suffer from the direct and indirect, negative, and gendered impacts of anti-personnel landmines in these countries.
Note that other African APMBC States Parties could be added to the list of beneficiaries and targets, depending on needs and available resources. Other donors may be approached by UNIDIR, in coordination with the EU’s EEAS, to expand the action’s geographical scope.
2.1.3.   Activities & outputs

The action provides for a set of ‘core’ activities to build national capacity in all target and beneficiary States and enable them to fulfil their APMBC Article 5 obligations; and a ‘menu’ of (optional) activities and support, depending on priorities of beneficiaries and available resources.
The 
                                 ‘core’ activities and corresponding outputs include:






—


Organising a meeting at the national level to conduct a joint review of the extension request and national plan, to identify key priorities, and to explore whether an ‘individual approach dialogue’ could be useful, in coordination with the APMBC-ISU,










—


Deploying a prioritisation tool to deliver nationally-owned results to inform an individual approach and/or international assistance requests, and










—


Contributing to the preparation of annual Article 7 reports and the provision of information on mine clearance (annual updates on Article 5), in cooperation with the APMBC-ISU.




UNIDIR, in cooperation with its operational mine action implementing partner MAG, in coordination with the APMBC-ISU, and working with the EU Delegation in-country, will organise an initial in-country joint meeting with the national mine action authority in support of each beneficiary State. This in-country meeting will review the Article 5 extension request and action plan, use a UNIDIR prioritisation tool to identify key priorities and their sequencing, and explore whether a national stakeholder dialogue at the capital level could help making progress. A key outcome of the meeting and use of the UNIDIR tool is the prioritisation and sequencing of priority activities as part of a pathway towards Article 5 completion. It can help inform a national stakeholder dialogue and, if needed, other international assistance requests.
Information generated by these initial joint review meetings and by the use of the prioritisation tool will also inform research and products to be published under this action, thereby increasing knowledge and awareness amongst target audiences (see 2.2.3).
A 
                                 ‘menu’ of context-specific activities, including:






—



Surveys (i.e. non-technical and technical surveys, NTS, and TS), including disaggregating and clarifying ‘suspected’ and ‘confirmed’ hazardous areas,










—



Clearance of mined areas, using appropriate methodologies (e.g. manual, mechanical, or mixed methodologies), and report on progress,










—


Capacity building activities for national authorities in:






—



Information management,











—



Revision and updating of national standards, where relevant or needed, and










—



Explosive ordnance risk education and community liaison, where relevant.








All operational context-specific activities will be implemented, monitored, and evaluated in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) endorsed by the UN.
The UNIDIR prioritisation tool will be used to identify the context-specific activities to be delivered under this action, taking into account:






—


Article 5 extension requests and decisions by the Meeting of States Parties,










—


Priorities identified in the detailed, costed, national action plans,










—


The level and degree of national ownership demonstrated by the target State,










—


Available resources,










—


An assessment of any possible other assistance received by the State or planned (by other donors), and










—


The likelihood of activities supported by the action achieving results/successful outcomes.




In each case, the activities will be context-driven and can be scaled up or down to correspond with the action’s resources and duration.
Although the mix of operational activities will be determined by the national context, UNIDIR experience and available information from operational mine action partners in Africa indicate that the following two context-specific packages of activities could be delivered under this action.
Example 1. The menu of operational activities to be delivered by MAG in a country with a low level of contamination but operationally complex could include:






—


The conduct of non-technical surveys,










—



Training and personnel capacity built on technical survey and clearance,










—



Survey and clearance operations for cancellation, reduction, clearance of land, and










—



Revising and updating national standards.




Priority would be given to country areas where clearance enabled the State to move decisively towards fulfilling APMBC Article 5 obligations. Priority would also be given to activities that sustainably reinforce the national authorities’ capacities for planning, reporting, including information management, as well as residual risk management.
Example 2. The menu of operational activities to be delivered by MAG in a country with a clearly identified but highly dense level of contamination to address could include:






—


The conduct of technical surveys,










—



Training and personnel capacity built to sustain technical survey and clearance capacity,










—



Deployment of appropriate manual and technical assets, and










—



Targeted clearance operations of confirmed hazardous areas.




Priority would be given to maintaining the momentum on APMBC Article 5 implementation progress, community risk reduction, as well as protecting the trajectory to completion, while complementing ongoing efforts by the national authority and, potentially, its other international partners.
2.2.   Promote and support the exchange of knowledge and experience on building African national capacity to implement APMBC obligations

UNIDIR will conduct research and, with its partners, collect and analyse information, including data on challenges, effective measures, and lessons learned, to enable African States Parties to reduce the risk posed by anti-personnel landmines in their country to help achieve objective 2. The analysis will also explore the opportunities and challenges encountered in implementing a gender-responsive and inclusive approach. UNIDIR will establish a robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework to gather such information and data and make it available to key stakeholders involved in mine action and the international community at large. The emphasis here is to enable African States and the continent to take ownership in fulfilling obligations and commit to shared responsibilities in working towards a mine-free Africa.
2.2.1.   Results

The first result is increased knowledge of practical approaches to enable African States Parties to reduce the risk posed by anti-personnel landmines in their country by fulfilling their Article 5 obligations. The second is increased awareness of the role of the European Union and its Member States in supporting Africa to become free from the impacts of anti-personnel landmines.
2.2.2.   Beneficiaries & targets

The 193 UN Member States, in particular African APMBC States Parties
                               (12)
and Member States of the African Union are the primary beneficiaries and targets. UNIDIR will also engage, and activities and products benefit, EU structures and Delegations, relevant UN entities, other international organisations, regional and sub-regional organisations, non-governmental organisations, and the general public. The ultimate beneficiaries are people, communities and individuals, including women, men, girls and boys, who suffer from the direct and indirect, negative, and gendered impacts of anti-personnel landmines in these countries in Africa and in other regions of the world.
2.2.3.   Activities & outputs

UNIDIR will deliver one knowledge transfer workshop for African States Parties to the APMBC and a report on the action’s key findings and the knowledge transfer workshop. As part of this proposed action, the Institute will develop and make publicly available a monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework. UNIDIR will also develop a prioritisation tool, deliver up to five factsheets and prepare and publish up to eight news items on progress made by African beneficiaries. It will also co-host up to eight events with the EU to raise awareness of the action and share results in a targeted manner amongst primary and secondary beneficiaries and target audiences. Information on the proposed, tentative sequencing of these activities and outputs is provided hereafter.
During the first 6 months of the action, UNIDIR will develop and test the prioritisation tool for use with beneficiary states, including during the initial joint review meetings (see 2.1.3 above). Throughout the course of the action, UNIDIR, in cooperation with MAG, will prepare five factsheets – one for each beneficiary African state. Each factsheet will provide information on the results of the country’s use of the UNIDIR prioritisation tool and progress made to fulfil its APMBC Article 5 obligations. These materials can be used by beneficiary states and UNIDIR partners in Africa, as well as by the international mine action community, to help States Parties fulfil their Article 5 obligations.
Over the three years of this action, UNIDIR will organise and co-host, with the EU, two events per year in Geneva to present the action’s progress and research findings for the mine action community of policy and practice. These could include side events during the intersessional meeting for the APMBC Meeting of States Parties (MSP), the annual APMBC MSP, the National Mine Action Directors and United Nations Advisors meetings, and/or a stand-alone event. UNIDIR will coordinate and work closely with the APMBC-ISU to ensure they are aligned with and contribute to possible individualised approach meetings. This action’s final side event will take place during the intersessional meeting for the Sixth Review Conference of States Parties to the APMBC in 2029. In addition, UNIDIR will organise and co-host, with the EU, events in Africa in year one and year three of the action, in cooperation with the African Union (AU) or an African subregional organisation. To promote the key issues discussed during these events, UNIDIR will prepare and post news items on its website. These activities and outputs will raise awareness of the EU’s role in fostering cooperation and creating a sense of shared responsibility among stakeholders working towards an Africa free from the negative impacts of anti-personnel landmines.
During the second year, UNIDIR will organise and co-host, with the EU, an information-exchange and knowledge-transfer workshop in Africa, in cooperation with the AU or an African subregional organisation, and in close coordination with the APMBC-ISU. UNIDIR will conduct research to inform the workshop. It will be designed and organised using a specific methodology to facilitate a peer-to-peer expert exchange on challenges, effective practices, and innovative approaches in working towards Article 5 completion in Africa. The workshop will bring together 15 African APMBC States Parties, including those that have recently completed Article 5 obligations and those seeking to fulfil them. In the third year, UNIDIR will publish and disseminate a report that provides information generated by this workshop for use by other stakeholders to help make progress towards a mine-free Africa.
3.   Engagement with the EU & visibility

This action is designed to both leverage synergies with other EU-led initiatives and actions (such as the APMBC-ISU project to support implementation of the SRAAP (13), the EUNPDC (14), and/or other specific projects funded by the EU). It will provide opportunities for the EU to further consolidate its public profile and leadership in the conventional arms control, non-proliferation, and humanitarian disarmament field at various levels. UNIDIR will cooperate with EU structures in Brussels and engage actively with the EU’s External Action Service, as the key interlocutor, as well as with the Permanent Delegations of the EU to the UN in Geneva and New York. Further, UNIDIR will also engage with and work with EU delegations in African partner countries, starting with initial in-country joint review meetings (see 2.1.3 above), and in States that host relevant African regional and sub-regional organisations, to build national capacity. In addition to publishing written products in accordance with the EU visibility guidelines (see also below). The EU will be visible at all events co-organised with UNIDIR, including by providing opening and/or closing remarks, moderating, or contributing as an expert. UNIDIR considers the knowledge exchange workshop during the second year and the two events during the action’s third year as ‘flagship’ opportunities to promote the EU’s leading role in peace, security, stability, and sustainable development in Africa.
Unless the EU Commission agrees or requests otherwise, UNIDIR will take all necessary measures to publicise the fact that the project has been funded by the EU, as well as highlight the EU’s role in this action. Such measures will be carried out in accordance with the Communication and Visibility Manual for European Union External Action laid down and published by the EU Commission (15). The EU emblem and funding statements will be used to acknowledge and ensure the EU’s visibility. This will ensure that the EU’s financial support for the action is visible, transparent, and well-branded.
4.   Cooperation & partnerships

The organisation implementing this action is UNIDIR. UNIDIR will work in cooperation with Member States, including African APMBC States Parties and members of the African Union (AU), the APMBC-ISU, the AU and African regional economic communities, other UN entities (such as the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, the Mine Action Service, the Development Programme, and Country Offices, as well as other members of the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group for Mine Action), other international organisations, and non-governmental and civil society organisations.
UNIDIR will cooperate, coordinate and collaborate closely, in particular with the APMBC-ISU, in the implementation of this action, ensuring that its activities and results inform or build on, and create and maximise synergies and complementarities with the EU-supported project of APMBC-ISU in support of the implementation of the SRAAP. With both organisations/entities based in Geneva, regular meetings will be held between UNIDIR and the APMBC-ISU to coordinate activities and events. UNIDIR will invite the ISU to participate in all events organised and co-hosted with the EU, and keep the ISU regularly informed of the action’s activities and outputs.
4.1.   UNIDIR oversight of partners

UNIDIR will engage non-governmental mine action operators from its existing network of partners with which it holds cooperative agreements (i.e. memoranda of understanding) and that have operations in African beneficiary countries, as implementing partners to deliver activities under 2.1.3, and help achieve objective 1. UNIDIR complies with and applies the UN’s rules and regulations for the management of implementing partners (16). It has the system and processes in place to effectively and efficiently manage and work with such operational partners in African countries. This includes standards for implementing a risk-based, results-oriented approach to due diligence, selection, performance monitoring, evaluation, and financial oversight.
5.   Duration of the action

The estimated duration of the action’s implementation is 36 months.
6.   Implementing entity & partner

6.1.   About UNIDIR

UNIDIR is an autonomous institute within the UN system that provides independent research, space for dialogue, advice, tools, and capacity-building to States and other interested parties on critical issues for security, arms control, disarmament, including humanitarian disarmament, and development. The Institute’s history, research and work towards humanitarian disarmament go back to the 1990s, predating the adoption and entry into force of the APMBC (17). Twenty years ago, the EU cooperated with UNIDIR to inform its strategies for mine action, explosive remnants of war, and small arms and light weapons control programming (18). For over a decade, UNIDIR and its CAAP has worked closely with African regional partners and member States to support capacity-building and programming to address illicit weapons and reduce harm caused by explosive threats on the African continent. In recent years, UNIDIR has concentrated its efforts in this domain on effective treaty universalisation and implementation generally, including the APMBC, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, the threats posed by improvised landmines (19), and the role of gender in effective mine-action (20). The Institute is committed to promoting the gender-related goals and objectives adopted by the UN, and it remains dedicated to advancing the contributions of women in disarmament, including humanitarian disarmament, non-proliferation, arms control, peace and security, thus contributing to the WPS agenda. UNIDIR maintains strong, trusted relationships and cooperation with African States, with unique access at the strategic and operational levels of government. It benefits from well-established, strong partnerships with mine action organisations operating across Africa. UNDIR is recognised for the neutrality, objectivity, and impartiality of its research and work to reduce harm caused by weapons. Therefore, UNIDIR is ideally placed and equipped to achieve the action’s goal and objectives.
6.2.   About MAG

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a global humanitarian and advocacy organisation that finds, removes and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict. Since 1989, MAG’s work has directly supported over 22 million people in more than 70 countries rebuild their lives and livelihoods after war. Regarded as one of the foremost humanitarian mine action organisations in the world, MAG received the Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2025 and jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. MAG collaborates closely with national authorities, other international NGOs and local partners to improve efficiency, innovation, safety and productivity. MAG holds a formal memorandum of understanding with UNIDIR, as well as with non-governmental organisations including GICHD, Small Arms Survey, and International Alert, and is also a member of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office.




(1)  See, for example, Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention – Extension Request process, Report by the Committee on Article 5 Implementation, 2023, 21MSP-Committee-Art5-Extension-Request-Process.pdf.

(2)  Siem Reap-Angkor Action Plan 2025-2029, APLC/CONF/2024/15, para. 14, p. 18, 5RC-Final-Report-en.pdf.

(3)  These States Parties include Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

(4)  Status of implementation of the Convention by States Parties with outstanding obligations, Fifth Review Conference, APLC/CONF/2024/12, 13 November 2024, APLC/CONF/2024/1.

(5)  Landmine Monitor 2024, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Geneva: ICBL-CMC, November 2024, Landmine-Monitor-2024-Final-Web.pdf; and Landmine Monitor, Geneva: ICBL-CMC, December 2025, Landmine-Monitor-2025-Final-Online.pdf.

(6)  Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Fifth Review Conference, Siem Reap, 25-29 November 2024, EU Statement on International Cooperation and Assistance, 5RC-8ei-Coop-zz-org-European-Union.pdf.

(7)  See UNIDIR’s mandate: https://unidir.org/unidir-statute/. See also, Activities and operations of UNIDIR, UN General Assembly First Committee, resolution A/C.1/79/L.66, 17 October 2024. See also, Work of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters and UNIDIR’s Board of Trustees, Report of the Secretary-General, A/80/240, 23 July 2025, https://unidir.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/UNIDIR-2025-ABDM-Report.pdf.

(8)  See https://www.apminebanconvention.org/en/implementation/article-5/extension-requests.

(9)  See, for example, Pathways to Completion: Achieving A Common Goal Through Article 5 in Context, Mines Advisory Group, MAG, 2024, https://maginternational.org/media/filer_public/9c/d1/9cd17054-fb51-461b-ba81-16d962828267/pathways_to_completion-4.pdf.

(10)  Following the EU CONOP meeting held on 15 October 2025, and upon suggestion and recommendation by the EU External Action Service, official letters were sent by UNIDIR in late October 2025.

(11)  The official response letters and communications have been provided to the EU External Action Service. UNIDIR has also contacted an additional, sixth country in case one of the five primary targeted states did not want to benefit from this action.

(12)  Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe. See https://treaties.unoda.org/t/mine_ban/participants.

(13)  EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/781, 14 April 2025, Annex, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202500781.

(14)  EU Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/889, 12 May 2025, Annex, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202500889.

(15)  See Communication and raising EU visibility: Guidance for external actions – 2022, 16 September 2024, https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/knowledge-hub/communicating-and-raising-eu-visibility-guidance-external-actions_en#visibility.

(16)  UN Financial Regulations and Rules (FFR), Secretary-General’s Bulletin ST/SGB/2018/3, and JIU/REP/2021/4.

(17)  See, for more information, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (2006) ‘Disarmament as Humanitarian Action: From Perspective to Practice’, UNIDIR, Geneva, https://unidir.org/files/publication/pdfs/disarmament-as-humanitarian-action-from-perspective-to-practice-288.pdf


(18)  United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (2006), ‘European Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and Explosive Remnants of War: Final Report’, UNIDIR, Geneva, https://unidir.org/publication/european-action-on-small-arms-and-light-weapons-and-explosive-remnants-of-war-final-report/.

(19)  This included, for example, the provision of support to the presidency of Germany of the APMBC on the working paper on anti-personnel mines of an improvised nature and the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, 21MSP-President-Paper-Improvised-AP-Mines.pdf.

(20)  United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (2023), ‘Beyond Oslo: Taking Stock of Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention’, UNIDIR, Geneva.



ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/584/oj
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