Mine Action: The Early Years

Authors

Ian Mansfield, Mine Action ConsultantFollow

Abstract

At the global level, the year 1997 was undoubtably the pinnacle of interest in mine action. This was the year that saw the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Jody Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines (ICBL), the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the opening of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) for signature in Ottawa, the establishment of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) as the UN focal point for mine action, the formation of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), the genesis of the Mine Action Support Group (MASG), and the first publication of this Journal. However, these events did not just happen overnight; there was a full decade of work and commitment leading up to these significant achievements. This article looks at the challenges and successes of the early days of humanitarian mine action (HMA), particularly in the areas of coordination, standardization, and information sharing.

Recommended Citation

Mansfield, Ian (2021) "Mine Action: The Early Years," The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article 5.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol25/iss1/5