United Nations marks International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April 2026

Key facts

• The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed globally on 4 April 2026.
• The 2026 theme is 'Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action'.
• The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD), Handicap International Switzerland, and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC) jointly issued the call to action.
• The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibits weapons that cause indiscriminate and irreversible harm.
• The Convention on Cluster Munitions bans munitions whose unexploded remnants continue to claim lives long after conflict ends.
• The Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) focuses on the impact of explosive weapons in urban settings.
• More than 30 States have declared themselves mine-free as a result of sustained mine action efforts.