Geneva’s standing as a global hub for humanitarian organizations makes it an ideal base for UNMAS operations. UNMAS works with a broad set of partners based in Europe and beyond to protect people living in humanitarian emergencies from explosive ordnance and realize the rights of victims.
It represents UNMAS in key humanitarian, human rights, peace, disarmament events and treaty meetings. In addition, it builds partnerships with Member States and international organizations to mitigate the risk of explosive ordnance. Every year, UNMAS organizes the biggest mine action convention in the world, the International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM-UN) in partnership with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).
The Geneva Office represents UNMAS in the OCHA-led Global Cluster Coordination Group (GCCG), GPC Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) and Operations Cell. They also provide technical and policy advice to UNMAS country programmes on humanitarian response planning and coordination in collaboration with the Programme Planning and Management Section. Particular attention is given to the integration of UNMAS country components into local Protection Clusters, and of mine action proposals into humanitarian appeals by increasing partnerships with Geneva-based stakeholders.
UNMAS Geneva Office promotes the integration of mine action into humanitarian operations and policies. In line with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action, UNMAS is the lead entity on mine action within the Global Protection Cluster. The GPC is a network of UN agencies and NGOs collaborating to protect people from violence, coercion, or deprivation in humanitarian crises.
UNMAS, through the GPC, and in-country mine action coordinators work with national and international organisations to assess risks, protect affected communities, and advocate for mine action in humanitarian contexts. In-country coordinators host the primary coordination platform for coherent mine action response in humanitarian crises settings, bringing together NGOs and UN agencies under the shared objective of more predictable and effective humanitarian mine action and protection in emergencies.
In 2025, coordinators were actively integrating mine action into the Humanitarian Need and Response Plans in 15 complex settings. Through the GPC, UNMAS routinely collaborates with UN (FAO, IOM, UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO) and non-UN organizations (DCA, DRC, FSD, GICHD, HALO Trust, HI, ICRC, FSD, MAG, NPA) to mainstream mine action in humanitarian responses. For example, UNMAS contributed to a policy guidance on “Nexus Approaches in Humanitarian Settings” and a “Joint Operational Framework” with the Global Health Cluster, convened a technical workshop on service mapping and referrals for explosive ordnance victims and persons with disabilities, and continue to collaborate with researchers on blast trauma care.
Geneva is the global centre for humanitarian disarmament. It is the place where states negotiate, review, and implement norms that limit weapons with unacceptable humanitarian impact. The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) form a normative framework that bans or restricts certain weapons and establishes rules for how states must address their humanitarian impact. UNMAS Geneva office coordinates UN activities to support the implementation and the universalization of these treaties. It also advocates for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to realize the rights of explosive ordnance victims.e implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to realize the rights of mine victims.
The office facilitates the preparation of UN statements to present at these treaties through the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA), whose members include:
- UN Department of Peace Operations/UNMAS (Chair)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- UN Development Programme (UNDP)
- Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
- UN Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)
- UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
- UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
- UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
- *World Bank* *Observer status
The three mine action treaties require states to take action in clearance, victim assistance, risk education, international cooperation and assistance as well as transparency and reporting. UNMAS Geneva provides support to visiting delegations, technical guidance, and an objective perspective on progress by member states in meeting their obligations.
An Ideal Place for Mine Action Professionals to Meet
With support from Switzerland, the Geneva office also co-convenes the annual International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM-UN) with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). NDM-UN is the sector’s leading annual gathering, bringing together directors of national mine action authorities and professionals from across the global mine action community, including donors, UN entities, NGOs, the private sector, and academia. The event provides an opportunity for mine action leaders to meet in-person for three days to exchange and network on pressing issues faced by the mine action sector.