Mine Action

Anti-personnel landmines continue to threaten individuals, communities and livelihoods around the world. Mines, and the fear of mines, prevent the safe and productive use of land, road and other infrastructure, posing a serious obstacle to the delivery of humanitarian aid, safe return of refugees, post-conflict reconstruction and sustainable development. The injuries they cause place a strain on families, communities and health facilities and seriously hinder economic progress.

The Reay Group on Mine Action

Recognizing the impact that landmines have on the region of South Eastern Europe, the Stability Pact created the Reay Group (previously the Forum for Cooperation on Mine Action in South East Europe). The Reay Group promotes a coordinated approach to mine action through the provision of a strong regional framework for funding mine action projects. This initiative has been built on existing structures in an effort to avoid duplication, and to assist coordination efforts by identifying and filling gaps in activities taking place at a regional level. In addition, the Reay Group brings higher visibility and further donor/beneficiary coordination to mine action activities.

Over the past year, the core members of the Reay Group have worked to identify gaps in programming and develop possible projects in three priority areas where it was felt the Stability Pact framework could provide the most added value:

As a range of organisations are already well established in operational mine clearance in the South Eastern European region, the Stability Pact initiative does not focus on de-mining but rather on other equally important aspects of mine action which can effectively promote regional peace and security.
All of the countries in the region are party to the Ottawa Convention, with the exception of Serbia and Montenegro, which has recently announced their intention to accede. Consequently, the Reay Group works within a regional context of legal and political commitment to humanitarian mine action.