Mine Action and Effective Coordination: The United Nations Inter-Agency Policy

This document updates and replaces the document entitled Mine Action and Effective Coordination: The United Nations Policy, endorsed by the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA) in 1998 and amended in 1999. The policy seeks to apply General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and presidential statements to the work of the United Nations in the area of mine action. It is informed by relevant international treaties, the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), and 15 years of collective knowledge, expertise, and lessons learned of the United Nations mine action team1 , governments, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), international organisations and regional organisations. The present document: • Defines the vision and core commitments of United Nations mine action. • Outlines the legal framework within which United Nations mine action takes place. • Elaborates the common positions that derive from the vision and core commitments. • Describes the coordination mechanisms, and individual roles and responsibilities of United Nations actors in mine action. The document was approved by the IACG-MA at the Principals’ level, chaired by the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, on 6 June 2005, and subsequently shared with the governing bodies of IACGMA members. It may be further amended by the IACG-MA meeting at the Principals’ level