What we do

The “Strengthening National Mine Action Capacities in Armenia” project, is funded by the European Commission Foreign Policy Instrument, and is designed to support the Government of Armenia to increase safety and security for women, men and children in the communities affected by the Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination, enhance preparedness and protection of the communities and strengthen national mine action structures to address the EO contamination in compliance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).

The project’s objective is implemented through three major components:

Compliance of national mine action programme and the national operator (Centre for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise (CHDE)) with IMAS. This component focuses on National Mine Action Strategy and Operational Plans development, which encompasses all mine action pillars, relevant to Armenia; Technical survey and land release operations; National Mine Action Standards (NMAS) revision in line with IMAS; strengthening institutional capacities of the CHDE.

National Mine Action Coordination Platform and Working Groups establishment and operation. The competent ensures engaging all key actors in Armenian mine action sector, bringing together all stakeholders active in all components of the national EO programme.

Risk Education, Victim Assistance and Emergency Preparedness and Protection sectors enhancement for the benefit of all communities in EO affected areas. This component focuses on design and delivery of comprehensive and multi-actor Risk Education in all EO affected regions, and aims to increase access and quality of social, medical and rehabilitation assistance services to the victims, their families and persons with disabilities. Increased preparedness and protection of the communities in all EO affected areas is also among priorities.

Some results so far 

UNDP’s comprehensive efforts position the Project as a catalyst for positive change in Armenia's mine action sector. The undertaken actions and strategic plans underscore its role as a platform for constructive dialogue with the Armenian government, highlighting its strategic contribution to the humanitarian - development nexus in the region.

Specifically, 

• The role of UNDP Mine Action project is instrumental in driving institutional, structural, and cultural reforms within the Mine Action sector of Armenia in terms of promoting and supporting the Armenian Mine Action sector to operate in full compliance with IMAS.

• The project has already achieved remarkable milestones in its support to National Mine Action Authorities to develop Mine Action Strategy and Operational Plans for 2023-2027 in compliance with IMAS, addressing key pillars such as clearance, victim assistance, and explosive ordnance risk education. Operational Plans have efficiently guided clearance and land release operations, resulting in the successful cleaning and release of 166 thousand sq.m. of contaminated lands in Syunik, Vayots Dzor and Gegharkunik regions of Armenia, ensuring a secure environment for about eight thousand residents in the affected communities.

• UNDP has been instrumental in revising National Mine Action Standards, aligning them IMAS. 

• The project has provided a significant support to CHDE to address critical challenge of hazardous devices through equipping them with modern and up-to-dated EOD, detection and protection equipment to bolster CHDE's operational capacities. The suite of equipment, strategically chosen based on specific needs for manual clearance operations, includes metal detectors, magnetic locators, mine detectors, vegetation trimmers, laser rangefinders, compasses, GPS devices, and medical trauma kits. Extending beyond immediate operational needs, UNDP Mine Action project strategically equips CHDE with essential technological resources. In a strategic approach, these resources fortify CHDE's capacities in information dissemination, communication, information management, and training infrastructure.

• Extending beyond immediate needs, the project has focused on enhancing the competitiveness of CHDE specialists in the dynamic mine action sector. Notably, 11 CHDE personnel (30% women) successfully completed internationally recognized EOD Level 2 and Level 3 professional training course, delivered by MAT Kosovo. 

• In partnership with the Armenian Red Cross Society, the project supported 20 CHDE personnel (50% women, 50% men) to successfully complete a specialized 2-day interactive training on first aid and medical emergency. Additionally, the Project supports the CHDE to enhance English language proficiency through providing ongoing support for English language courses.

• The project support extends to the renovation and refurbishment of the CHDE headquarters and Training Centre, aiming to transform it into a central hub for training and development. The renovated and equipped Training Centre has significantly reinforced the commitment to continuous learning and improvement within the Mine Action sector.

• The project has taken a leading role in initiating and facilitating the establishment of Armenia's National Mine Action Coordination Platform, marking the first successful attempt to introduce a properly functioning coordination mechanism in the Mine Action sector in Armenia. Operating through dedicated working groups segmented according to Mine Action pillars. Today the NMACP serves as a central hub for coordinated actions within the mine action sector. Under the umbrella of the NMACP, three working groups focus on specific Mine Action pillars, namely Land Release and Clearance, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, and Victim Assistance. Additionally, a separate working group on Emergency Preparedness and Protection collaborates with key state and non-state agencies, international and local CSOs, and UN agencies to ensure coordinated actions in this sector.

• The project places significant emphasis on advancing the EO/mine risk education pillar. Through established partnerships, multi-dimensional and multi-stakeholder approaches, the project implements public awareness campaigns in mine/EO-affected regions and communities. One of the key achievements includes development of educational resources (video tutorials targeting different target groups and a bilingual summary guide) in partnership with National Centre for Educational Technologies and CHDE, which helped to outreach over 40,000 teachers and 400,000 students throughout the country. In parallel, collaborative efforts with UNICEF the Project supports integration of EORE modules into formal education curricula.

• The project places a specific emphasis on enhancing public awareness of mine and EO risks and principles of safe behaviour at the grassroots level, specifically in mine/EO affected regions and border communities. This targeted and community-cantered initiative underscores the strategic importance of empowering residents with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate hazardous environments safely. Due to countrywide multi-stakeholder and multi-dimensional approach, Armenia achieved a notable milestone by having zero mine/EO victims in 2023. This collective effort enabled UNDP to engage overall with 9,194 persons (51% women, 49% men), heightening their awareness regarding the perils of mines and explosive remnants of war. A comprehensive demographic spectrum was reached, encompassing children, adolescents, youth, elderly persons above 65 years’ old, persons with disabilities and displaced persons. As an integral part of mine/EO risk education campaigns the UNDP Mine Action project annually organizes a summer camp for children and adolescents from mine/EO-affected communities and families. The figures of mine/EO awareness raising activities are continuously updated and visually represented on an interactive map, which serves as a dynamic tool to illustrate the geographical coverage of awareness initiatives conducted in mine and EO-affected regions. 

• To support the National Mine Action Authorities in addressing challenges in Victim Assistance sector, the Project initiated the design of a comprehensive Victim Information System. Apart from serving a digital instrument for prioritization of interventions, for data-driven and evidence-informed policymaking and improved service delivery, development of the VIS contributes to broader Government initiatives in terms of overall digitalization and digital transformation of the public sector.

• In response to the evolving security landscape in Armenia, particularly in border areas, the project’s support is essential in empowering communities living in conflict environment through provision of basic infrastructure, emergency equipment, knowledge and tools they need to be better prepared and protected against EO and other conflict-related threats. A pivotal initiative involved a successful needs assessment for emergency preparedness and protection, identifying critical gaps in emergency preparedness and protection. Strategically prioritizing five border locations for renovation as simplest hideouts, the Project swiftly moved to engage with communities and initiate the renovation process in 5 identified locations of Syunik, Tavush and Vayots Dzor regions, thus supporting also to reinforcement of the resilience of communities. As part of the project's comprehensive emergency preparedness and protection measures in mine/EO affected communities, the project successfully delivered targeted training to over 500 residents, equipping community members with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective preparedness and protection against potential threats. 

The enduring effects of the project are deeply embedded in the transformational strides it has achieved, all of which culminate in the creation of a resilient and responsive mine action landscape poised for continued growth and sustained benefits.