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Full-Text Articles in Defense and Security Studies

To Walk The Earth In Safety 23rd Edition (Fy2023), Cisr Jmu Apr 2024

To Walk The Earth In Safety 23rd Edition (Fy2023), Cisr Jmu

Global CWD Repository

In this year’s edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, we highlight the many ways that U.S. conventional weapons destruction assistance promotes post-conflict recovery. For example, our humanitarian demining funding enhances food security by helping to revitalize agricultural fields in countries like Sri Lanka and Vietnam. This funding is especially critical in Sri Lanka where more than 6 million people—nearly 30 percent of the population—are currently food-insecure. In Vietnam, our commitment to promoting agricultural security is a key component to successful post-conflict recovery, even decades after war ended.

The United States is the world’s top supporter of conventional …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 21st Edition (Cy2021), U.S. Department Of State Apr 2022

To Walk The Earth In Safety 21st Edition (Cy2021), U.S. Department Of State

Global CWD Repository

The United States is committed to reducing these threats worldwide and is the leading financial supporter of CWD, providing more than $4.2 billion in assistance to more than 100 countries since 1993. This makes the United States the world’s single largest financial supporter of CWD. The Department of State, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) work together with foreign governments, private companies, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce excess SA/LW and conventional munitions stockpiles (including MANPADS), implement best practices for PSSM at conventional weapons storage sites, and carry out HMA programs.

In 2021, …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 20th Edition (Cy2020), Us Dos Pm/Wra Apr 2021

To Walk The Earth In Safety 20th Edition (Cy2020), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

2020 was a year of exceptional challenges for the Department of State due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the United States remains the world’s largest international donor to CWD, providing more than $4 billion to support humanitarian mine action (HMA), physical security and stockpile management (PSSM), and associated activities in over 100 countries since 1993.

Despite the pandemic, the United States was able to provide significant cooperation on a range of programs around the world. Here are a few highlights from 2020:

• The Department provided PSSM assessments in Lebanon following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4. This …


A Guide To The Oslo Action Plan And Provisional Results Of 2020 Monitoring: Survey And Clearance, Mine Action Review Oct 2020

A Guide To The Oslo Action Plan And Provisional Results Of 2020 Monitoring: Survey And Clearance, Mine Action Review

Global CWD Repository

This Guide and provisional results of 2020 monitoring by Mine Action Review aim to support the measurable and accountable implementation of Article 5 of the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. They do so by focusing on the Oslo Action Plan, adopted at the Fourth Review Conference in November 2019, describing how the Action Plan addresses survey and clearance, and explaining how progress in implementing those commitments in the Action Plan will be assessed. This Guide follows the Oslo Action Plan’s approach by detailing commitments that apply specifically to survey and clearance operations in all affected States Parties, as well …


Death Sentence To Civilians: The Long-Term Impact Of Explosive Weapons In Populated Areas In Yemen, Hi May 2020

Death Sentence To Civilians: The Long-Term Impact Of Explosive Weapons In Populated Areas In Yemen, Hi

Global CWD Repository

In Yemen, the massive use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas has not only had deadly consequences for civilians, but has also had a dramatic impact on the infrastructure and systems that civilians depend upon to access essential services. Yemen shows how the long-term or reverberating effects of explosive weapons use, referring to how the destruction of infrastructure has implications for the wider systems of services in a country, are just as deadly in a crisis as injuries from the explosion and even impact a greater number of people than those in the vicinity of the …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 19th Edition (Cy2019), Us Dos Pm/Wra Apr 2020

To Walk The Earth In Safety 19th Edition (Cy2019), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

The United States is a strong and historic partner for affected states and a leader in donor assistance. Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $3.7 billion in CWD assistance to over 100 countries. These programs are implemented by commercial contractors, nongovernmental organizations (NGO), and international organizations. In 2019, the United States had active CWD programs in 58 countries, spanning Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. This 19th edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety catalogs the U.S. government’s achievements in CWD in each country and highlights the …


Hd R&D Field Evaluation: Light Soil Sifter, U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development Apr 2020

Hd R&D Field Evaluation: Light Soil Sifter, U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development

Global CWD Repository

The light/sandy soil sifting project is evaluating the feasibility and operational suitability of using commercial beach-cleaning technologies to remove mines and clutter from sandy and mechanically prepared soils. Demining applications envisioned for these systems are removal of mines from sandy and other light soils, raking surface soil to collect clutter, and assisting with inspection and quality assurance behind mechanical clearance equipment. Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release.


To Walk The Earth In Safety 18th Edition (Cy 2018), Us Dos Pm/Wra Apr 2019

To Walk The Earth In Safety 18th Edition (Cy 2018), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

This 18th Edition of To Walk the Earth In Safety summarizes the United States’ Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) programs in 2018. CWD assistance provides the United States with a powerful and flexible tool to help partner countries manage their stockpiles of munitions, destroy excess small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) and clear explosive hazards such as landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Our assistance also helps countries destroy illicitly-held or poorly-secured man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and mitigate their threat to civilian aviation and public safety.

In today’s dynamic world, threats to U.S. national security abound. The …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 17th Edition (Cy2017), Us Dos Pm/Wra Dec 2018

To Walk The Earth In Safety 17th Edition (Cy2017), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

This 17th Edition of To Walk the Earth In Safety summarizes the United States’ CWD programs in 2017. CWD assistance provides the United States with a powerful and flexible tool to help partner countries manage their stockpiles of munitions, destroy excess small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) and clear explosive hazards such as landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and UXO. Our assistance also helps countries destroy or enhance security of their man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) and their threat to civilian aviation, in addition to other weapons and munitions.

The United States is committed to reducing these threats worldwide and …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 17th Edition (Cy2017), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jan 2017

To Walk The Earth In Safety 17th Edition (Cy2017), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Supporting conventional weapons destruction (CWD) is a cornerstone of our national security policy. This 2016 edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety highlights the United States programs, managed primarily by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), that keep weapons and ammunition out of the wrong hands and assist nations in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The dangers posed by mines and UXO can linger for decades. In areas reeling from recent fighting, stabilization and humanitarian assistance efforts are effectively blocked until key sites are cleared of explosive …


Implementing International Obligations To Clear Mines, Stuart Maslen Jul 2016

Implementing International Obligations To Clear Mines, Stuart Maslen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Each State Party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) that knows or suspects it has areas under its jurisdiction or control that contain anti-personnel (AP) mines has a clear deadline to locate and destroy those mines. According to Article 5(1), upon becoming party to the APMBC, a State must complete clearance within ten years, unless the deadline is pushed back in an agreement from the other States Parties at an annual meeting or five-yearly review conference.


A Guide To Survey And Clearance Of Underwater Explosive Ordnance, Gichd Jun 2016

A Guide To Survey And Clearance Of Underwater Explosive Ordnance, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This guide focuses on providing a collection of current policy and best practices used in survey and clearance of underwater explosive ordnance. Specific cases are used; they provide examples and analysis. It is not intended to be a comprehensive database of policies and practices; it provides national authorities and mine action organisations with guidance to better understand the issues and complexities of underwater EO survey and clearance operations.


To Walk The Earth In Safety 16th Edition (Cy2016), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jan 2016

To Walk The Earth In Safety 16th Edition (Cy2016), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Even after a conflict ends and the fighters have gone home, the threats from landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and at-risk weapons and munitions remain. These threats foment instability; as long as men, women, and children fear to move about their communities due to the lingering threat of landmines and UXO, a society can never fully heal and rebuild.

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA) works with foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations to deliver programs and services aimed at reducing the harmful effects of at-risk, illicitly proliferated, and indiscriminately used …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 14th Edition (Fy2014), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jan 2015

To Walk The Earth In Safety 14th Edition (Fy2014), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

For more than two decades, the United States has been at the forefront of international efforts to reduce the worldwide threat to civilians from landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and other conventional weapons of war. Just 15 years ago, landmines and other explosive remnants of war killed or injured nearly 10,000 men, women, and children every year—more than 25 every day. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the United States, partner nations, international nongovernmental organizations, and host nations, that figure has now dropped by more than 60%.

The 14th edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety documents the United States’ …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 13th Edition (Fy2013), Us Dos Pm/Wra Sep 2014

To Walk The Earth In Safety 13th Edition (Fy2013), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

The 13th edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety describes the programs and partnerships that comprise the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Program. Since 1993, the U.S. has led the international donor community in reducing the harmful effects of poorly secured, unstable or illegally traded conventional weapons of war. We have contributed over $2.3 billion to more than 90 countries around the world.

This mission resonates with my own experience. I started my career in Afghanistan, where explosive remnants of war had already claimed thousands of lives. I am proud to be in a position to oversee U.S. efforts …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 12th Edition (Fy2012), Us Dos Pm/Wra Aug 2013

To Walk The Earth In Safety 12th Edition (Fy2012), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

In 2013, we celebrate 20 years of U.S. Government agencies working together to lead the international donor community in supporting the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions. The United States first became involved in humanitarian demining in 1988 by sending a team to assess the landmine situation in Afghanistan. In 1993, U.S. assistance took an important step forward when the Department of State (DOS), Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) formed an interagency partnership to coordinate U.S. humanitarian demining …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 11th Edition (Fy2011), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jul 2012

To Walk The Earth In Safety 11th Edition (Fy2011), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

In 2011, the United States continued to lead the international donor community in providing assistance for the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war, as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions. In Fiscal Year 2011, the Department of State allocated $142 million in assistance to 42 countries, thereby helping communities recover, and countries become more secure. This 11th edition of our annual report, To Walk The Earth In Safety, details the programs and partnerships that make the United States’ Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) program a lasting success.

Increased instability as a result of …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 10th Edition (Fy2010), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jul 2011

To Walk The Earth In Safety 10th Edition (Fy2010), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Welcome to the 10th edition of To Walk The Earth In Safety. Our annual report details the United States’ Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Program, a collaborative effort by the Department of State, Department of Defense, United States Agency for International Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services. These agencies strive to help countries recover from conflict and create safe, secure environments to rebuild infrastructure, return displaced citizens to their homes and livelihoods, and establish situations conducive to stability, nonviolence, and democracy.

From its initial focus on landmines dating back to …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 9th Edition (Fy2009), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jul 2010

To Walk The Earth In Safety 9th Edition (Fy2009), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

In 2009, the Department of State continued to lead the international donor community in providing assistance for the clearance of landmines and other explosive remnants of war, as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions, by providing $130 million in aid to 32 countries. Although significant progress has been made over the last decade, including several countries which have been declared mine impact-free, there still remains much to do to make the world a safer place for everyone.

This ninth edition of our annual report, To Walk The Earth In Safety, describes the programs and achievements …


Demining Programme Office In The Falkland Islands - Technical Support 2010, Colin King, Fenix -. Insight Apr 2010

Demining Programme Office In The Falkland Islands - Technical Support 2010, Colin King, Fenix -. Insight

Global CWD Repository

A series of three reports were published by the Demining Programme Office in the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

This report outlines the technical support provided to the demining programme during the Austral summer of 2009/2010. The majority of the technical support provided fell into two categories:

  • Detection: activities intended to enable the contractor to establish their detection capabilities against the minimum-metal mines.
  • Exploitation: examination of recovered mines in order to observe the effects of aging and assess their implications.


Clearing The Falkland-Malvinas Islands, Robert Keeley Jul 2009

Clearing The Falkland-Malvinas Islands, Robert Keeley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Under pressure from nations around the world and in compliance with Article 5 of the Ottawa Convention, the United Kingdom has committed to demining the Falkland-Malvinas Islands despite the potential cost of demining in arelatively mine-safe area.


To Walk The Earth In Safety 8th Edition (Fy2008), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jul 2009

To Walk The Earth In Safety 8th Edition (Fy2008), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Welcome to the 8th edition of To Walk The Earth In Safety. Although we have seen real progress in combating the threat of mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), conflicts persist, and the destabilizing effects of other weapons threaten peace and stability around the world.

The United States works with other nations to clean up the debris of war, combat trafficking in small arms and light weapons, and improve the security and management of munitions stockpiles. Catastrophic explosions at munitions storage facilities in populated areas have become a growing problem and have the potential to create more casualties than …


Diplomatic Conference For The Adoption Of A Convention On Cluster Munitions, Un Dec 2008

Diplomatic Conference For The Adoption Of A Convention On Cluster Munitions, Un

Global CWD Repository

The Convention on Cluster Munitions bans all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Cluster munitions do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and can leave behind unexploded ordnance which can harm civilians and be detrimental to economic and social development for decades after use. The Convention aids in clearance of contaminated areas in order to prevent future disasters. It also provides risk reduction education and establishes a framework for cooperation and assistance for survivors.

Opened for Signature: 3 December 2008


Iraq Mine And Uxo Clearance Organization, Cisr Journal Jul 2008

Iraq Mine And Uxo Clearance Organization, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For Iraq, being plagued by landmines is only one of the many problems that it is currently facing. The country also suffers from sectarian violence, internal instability and economic hardship. As the government transforms its mine-action policy, one organization, the Iraq Mine and UXO [Unexploded Ordnance] Clearance Organization, has proven itself to be a powerful force in addressing the urgent needs of the Iraqi community. Though it faces challenges itself, IMCO shows great promise for rebuilding Iraq and stands as a model for future Iraqi nongovernmental organizations.


A Guide To Road Clearance, Gichd Jul 2008

A Guide To Road Clearance, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Clearing roads prior to the deployment of peacekeeping units, or in support of humanitarian, reconstruction or development work, is a prerequisite to a safe and successful operation. However, road clearance is expensive and time-consuming. Equipment costs are high, especially in remote areas such as in Afghanistan, Angola and Sudan, where many roads remain contaminated by mines.

Confronted by these challenges, mine action operators are working to develop safer, more efficient and cost-effective road clearance systems. This Guide contributes to that process by providing recent examples, data and methodologies from the field. Methodologies and approaches used as examples in this guide …


To Walk The Earth In Safety 7th Edition (Fy2006-Fy2007), Us Dos Pm/Wra Jun 2008

To Walk The Earth In Safety 7th Edition (Fy2006-Fy2007), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

We are pleased to offer the 7th Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, the report of the interagency U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007. This report also describes the conventional weapons destruction efforts of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement located in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. This office directs programs that encompass humanitarian mine action, and elimination of at-risk small arms, light weapons, man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), and munitions.

Every edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, archived at www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rpt/walkearth, is a look back in time. This …


Iraq, Country Profile Apr 2008

Iraq, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since 2003, the government of Iraq has taken action against mines and unexploded ordnance. On 15 August 2007, Iraq acceded to the Ottawa Convention becoming the 155th State Party. The rising levels of violence in the region, however, have made focusing on mine action difficult for the Iraqi government—or anyone, for that matter. The decrease in security has taken focus, time and energy from ridding the country of its extensive problems with landmines and other explosive remnants of war.


Aimad Land Titling Pilot Project: Research On Post Clearance Land Titling, Srin Davy, Mao Vanna Feb 2007

Aimad Land Titling Pilot Project: Research On Post Clearance Land Titling, Srin Davy, Mao Vanna

Global CWD Repository

During the Democratic Kampuchea regime (1975-79), all cadastral records were destroyed. This disrupted continuity of land titling and caused many uncertainties. Currently there are a range of laws relating to land ownership that must be considered in the context of allocating demined land to beneficiaries. It is important that beneficiaries are able to secure legal title to the land they are allocated, to ensure their future security and long term benefits of the demining process overall. Therefore, the objective of this research is to pave the way for Austcare to develop a procedure or procedures to integrate the relevant legal …


Explosive Remnants Of War In North Africa, Ayman Sorour Nov 2006

Explosive Remnants Of War In North Africa, Ayman Sorour

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article looks at explosive remnants of war in North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia) from different perspectives, including the scope and history of the ERW, its impact and its relationship to security.


U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development Program (Hd R&D), Anders Jansson, Marcel E. Durocher Aug 2006

U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development Program (Hd R&D), Anders Jansson, Marcel E. Durocher

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The anti-tank mine threat on access roads in eastern Angola is the greatest impediment to infrastructural rehabilitation, economic recovery and social development in that area. The authors discuss the method and equipment used by DanChurchAid to verify and clear roads in Moxico and Lunda Sul provinces.