1 The term “humanitarian disarmament” refers to processes, norms and measures of disarmament informed by the concept of human – rather than national – security, with a significant role for civil society in the making and implementation of those norms. Docherty, Bonnie, “Ending Civilian Suffering: The Purpose, Provisions, and Promise of Humanitarian Disarmament Law”, Austrian Review of International and European Law, Vol. 15, No. 7, 2010, pp. 16–17Google Scholar; Dunworth, Treasa Moira, Humanitarian Disarmament: An Historical Enquiry, Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2020, pp. 8–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

2 Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), A Guide to Mine Action, March 2014, pp. 27–28; Chris Horwood, Humanitarian Mine Action: The First Decade of a New Sector in Humanitarian Aid, RRN Network Paper No. 32, March 2000, p. 9.

3 MAG was established in 1989 in England. The Hazardous Areas Life-Support Organization, known as the HALO Trust, was established one year earlier in 1988. After a few years, other organizations devoted to humanitarian mine action and humanitarian disarmament were created, and some previously existing organizations began to operate in the sector, such as Humanity and Inclusion (formerly Handicap International) and Norwegian People's Aid. See MAG, “History”, available at: www.maginternational.org/about-mag/history/ (all internet references were accessed in January 2024); GICHD, above note 2, pp. 28–29; C. Horwood, above note 2, p. 10.

4 The practical examples and considerations presented in this article are based or draw on first-hand accounts and experience from MAG personnel.

5 This is not the first time that MAG has analyzed issues related to the application of humanitarian principles to this field. See e.g. Chris Loughran and Jane Cocking, Why Principles Matter: Humanitarian Mine Action and Improvised Explosive Devices, MAG, May 2017.

6 See e.g. “Q&A: The ICRC and the ‘Humanitarian–Development–Peace Nexus’ Discussion”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 101, No. 912, 2019; Slim, Hugo, Solferino 21: Warfare, Civilians and Humanitarians in the Twenty-First Century, C. Hurst & Co., London, 2022, pp. 194–195Google Scholar; Lie, Jon Harald Sande, “The Humanitarian–Development Nexus: Humanitarian Principles, Practice, and Pragmatics”, Journal of International Humanitarian Action, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2020CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Hilhorst, Dorothea, “Classical Humanitarianism and Resilience Humanitarianism: Making Sense of two Brands of Humanitarian Action”, Journal of International Humanitarian Action, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2018CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

7 A situational approach to the principles was suggested in Hugo Slim and Miriam Bradley, Principled Humanitarian Action and Ethical Tensions in Multi-Mandate Organizations, World Vision, March 2013.

8 For the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Fifth Review Conference takes place in 2024, while for the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Third Review Conference will be in 2026. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, 2056 UNTS 211, 18 September 1997 (entered into force 1 August 2010) (APMBC); Convention on Cluster Munitions, 2688 UNTS 39, 30 May 2008 (entered into force 1 August 2010) (CCM).

9 The literature on the application of the humanitarian principles to humanitarian disarmament is limited, and existing publications often do not enter into much detail. See, for example, Armida van Rij et al., Defining the Device: The Need for International Humanitarian Standards for Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, Chatham House, April 2017; Sarah Njeri, “The Politics of Non-recognition: Re-evaluating the Apolitical Presentation of the UN Humanitarian Mine Action Programs in Somaliland”, in Matthew Breay Bolton, Sarah Njeri and Taylor Benjamin-Britton (eds), Global Activism and Disarmament, Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2020; H. Slim, above note 6, p. 170.

10 The addressing of the dangers posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including improvised landmines, is one of those challenges where the principles can provide adequate humanitarian coordinates. C. Loughran and J. Cocking, above note 5. It is noteworthy that at the 21st Meeting of States Parties to the APMBC, the German Presidency recommended the application of the humanitarian principles to address the issues caused by improvised landmines: see “Anti-Personnel Mines of an Improvised Nature and the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention”, 15 November 2023, available at: www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2023/21MSP-President-Paper-Improvised-AP-Mines.pdf.

11 In this article, the word “disarmament” indicates all activities related to weapons, ranging from their ban and destruction to non-proliferation, arms control and so-called micro-disarmament activities. See Stuart Casey-Maslen and Tobias Vestner, A Guide to International Disarmament Law, Routledge, Abingdon, 2019, p. 15.

12 H. Slim, above note 6, pp. 161, 167. The expression “entangled history” was previously used by Paulmann. See, for example, Johnannes Paulmann, “Humanitarianism and the Media: Introduction to an Entangled History”, in Johannes Paulmann (ed.), Humanitarianism and Media: 1900 to the Present, Berghahn Books, New York, 2019, p. 1.

13 For a definition of EORE, see “IMAS 12.10: Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE)”, in International Mine Action Standards, 1 September 2020, p. 8.

14 Slim, for example, sees the adoption of the APMBC as being part of humanitarianism's “entangled history” and a renewed conception of humanitarianism itself. H. Slim, above note 6, pp. 161–162, 167.

15 In fact, most of the major humanitarian disarmament agencies already explicitly refer to the “humanitarian principles” or “humanitarian standards” in their strategies or frameworks of reference. The only exception to this trend is the HALO Trust, which, while not using those terms, appears nevertheless to use humanitarian terminology. See Danish Refugee Council, DRC Strategy 2025, November 2021, available at: https://pro.drc.ngo/media/xghmuvdu/drc-strategy-2025-en-nov-2021.pdf; DanChurchAid, “Core Humanitarian Standard”, available at: www.danchurchaid.org/how-we-work/quality-management/core-humanitarian-standard; HALO Trust, Strategic Plan 2021–2025, available at: www.halotrust.org/media/7293/halo-strategic-plan-2021-25.pdf; Humanity and Inclusion, HI: Values and Principles Charter and Scope of Activity, 2022, available at: www.hi.org/sn_uploads/document/HI-CharterValues-ScopeOfActivity-CR01-EN.pdf; Norwegian People's Aid, Strategy 2020–2023, 24 September 2023, available at: www.npaid.org/files/Om-oss/NPA_Strategy.pdf. Despite these frequent references to the humanitarian principles, publications that comprehensively look at the links and interaction between humanitarian disarmament and the humanitarian principles are very rare.

16 H. Slim, above note 6, p. 167.

17 Admittedly, the latest humanitarian disarmament treaty was the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 3379 UNTS 475, 7 July 2017 (entered into force 20 September 2017) (TPNW), which substantially replicated most of the typical provisions of the APMBC and CCM. As MAG deals only with conventional weapons, the TPNW is not within the scope of this article.

18 Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, 18 November 2022, available at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/585c8-protecting-civilians-in-urban-warfare/.

19 Global Framework for Through-Life Conventional Ammunition Management, UNGA Res. L.41 (LXXVIII), 11 October 2023.

20 UN, A New Agenda for Peace, July 2023.

21 This theorization was inspired by B. Docherty, above note 1.

22 E.g. Protocol Additional (I) to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, 1125 UNTS 3, 8 June 1977 (entered into force 7 December 1978), Arts 35, 51(4–5); see also Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, 1342 UNTS 137, 10 October 1980 (entered into force 2 December 1983, amended 21 December 2001, amendment entered into force 18 May 2004).

23 J. H. S. Lie, above note 6, p. 3. On the expansion of the time and horizon of humanitarian action, see also H. Slim, above note 6, pp. 194–195.

24 These categories are taken from “Q&A”, above note 6.

25 In this paper, the terms “human beings” and “people and communities” are preferred to “civilians” for situations other than armed conflict as the combatant/civilian distinction does not generally apply in those situations.

26 In the section below on “Humanity and Disarmament”, the article will outline how IHL, humanitarian disarmament and the principle of humanity share a similar foundation in the very concept of “humanity”.

27 APMBC, above note 8, Arts 1, 4, 5; CCM, above note 8, Arts 1, 3, 4.

28 E.g. Protocol (V) on Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, 2399 UNTS 100, 28 November 2003 (entered into force 12 November 2006).

29 Ibid., Art. 9 and Technical Annex.

30 For a policy development, see Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, 7 June 2006.

31 E.g. UNSC Res. 2017, 31 October 2011, para. 5.

32 “Countdown to Catastrophe: The Mpila Ammunition Depot Explosions”, in Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Small Arms Survey 2014: Women and Guns, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2014.

33 “Q&A”, above note 6, pp. 1054–1056.

34 This article refers more frequently to the IMAS, due to their more comprehensive and humanitarian nature.

35 Oslo Action Plan, UN Doc. APLC/CONF/2019/5/Add.1, 29 November 2019, available at: www.osloreviewconference.org/fileadmin/APMBC-RC4/Fourth-Review-Conference/Oslo-action-plan-en.pdf (Oslo Action Plan); Lausanne Action Plan, UN Doc. CCM/CONF/2021/6, 21 September 2021, Annex II, available at: https://documents.unoda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CCM_CONF_2021_6_Final-report_Advance.pdf (Lausanne Action Plan).

36 The IMAS list the main activities, also referred to as pillars, of mine action: EORE; survey, marking and clearance; victim assistance; stockpile destruction; and advocacy. “IMAS 01.10: Guide for the Application and Development of International Mine Action Standards”, in International Mine Action Standards, 1 January 2023.

37 E.g. APMBC, above note 8, Preamble; CCM, above note 8, Preamble. See also the definition of “mine action” in “IMAS 04.10: Glossary of Mine Action Terms, Definitions and Abbreviations”, in International Mine Action Standards, 1 January 2023.

38 See above note 3.

39 MAG, above note 3.

40 Rae McGrath, Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance: A Resource Book, Pluto Press, London, 2000, p. xxiii; C. Horwood, above note 2, pp. 1, 3–4.

41 For a definition of “diversion”, see “IATG 01.40: Glossary of Terms, Definitions and Abbreviations”, in International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, 3rd ed., March 2021, para 3.83. For a definition of UEMS, see Reina Pilar and Eric G. Berman, “Introduction”, in Eric G. Berman and Reina Pilar (eds), Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS): Excess Stockpiles as Liabilities rather than Assets, Small Arms Survey, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 2014, p. 3.

42 “The Humanitarian Charter”, in The Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, Sphere Association, Geneva, 2018 (Humanitarian Charter), para. 1.

43 “The XXth International Conference of the Red Cross”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 5, No. 56, 1965, p. 573; Jean Pictet, The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross: Commentary by Jean Pictet, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 1979, pp. 14–17.

44 Humanitarian Charter, above note 42, para. 4.

45 J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 14; Jérémie Labbé and Pascal Daudin, “Applying the Humanitarian Principles: Reflecting on the Experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 97, No. 897–898, 2015, pp. 186–187.

46 Hugo Slim, Humanitarian Ethics: A Guide to the Morality of Aid in War and Disaster, Oxford University Press, New York, 2015, pp. 42–43.

47 See, for example, ibid., pp. 45–46; Larissa Fast, “Unpacking the Principle of Humanity: Tensions and Implications”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 97, No. 897–898, 2015, pp. 112–113.

48 For the common root of the humanitarian principle of humanity and the IHL principle of humanity, see, for example, H. Slim, above note 46, pp. 45–46; L. Fast, above note 47. For the development of IHL applicable to weaponry and then the development of humanitarian disarmament on the basis of humanity, see Robert J. Mathews and Timothy L. H. McCormack, “The Influence of Humanitarian Principles in the Negotiation of Arms Control Treaties”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 81, No. 834, June 1999; Louis Maresca and Stuart Maslen (eds), The Banning of Anti-Personnel Landmines: The Legal Contribution of the International Committee of the Red Cross, 1955–1999, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000; B. Docherty, above note 1; Stuart Casey-Maslen, The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention: A Commentary, Oxford University Press, 2023, pp. 12–17. See also Rae McGrath's 1997 Nobel lecture on this subject: Rae McGrath, “Landmines: A Matter of Justice and Humanity”, International Journal of Human Rights, Vol. 2, No. 1, 1998.

49 Humanitarian Charter, above note 42, paras 4–5. See also Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UNGA Res. 217 A(III), 10 December 1948 (UDHR), Preamble.

50 Humanitarian Charter, above note 42, para. 5.

51 H. Slim, above note 46, p. 45.

52 Ibid, pp. 51–52; L. Fast, above note 47.

53 On the idea of injustice, see R. McGrath, above note 48.

54 See H. Slim, above note 6, pp. 194–197.

55 Darren Cormack, “Doing Everything We Can to Protect Civilians in Gaza”, MAG, 31 October 2023, available at: www.maginternational.org/whats-happening/doing-everything-we-can-to-protect-civilians-gaza/.

56 Ability to respect the humanitarian principles and staff safety are two essential conditions for MAG's deployment.

57 “IMAS 02.10: Guide for the Establishment of a Mine Action Programme”, in International Mine Action Standards, 1 August 2007.

58 See e.g. Riccardo Labianco and Myriam Rabbath, The Contribution of Humanitarian Mine Action to Food Security – Preliminary Findings from Lebanon, MAG, December 2023.

59 See e.g. Ursing Hofmann and Olaf Juergensen, Leaving No One Behind: Mine Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, GICHD and UN Development Programme, 2017.

60 See e.g. Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Request for Extension to the Deadline for Fulfilling Obligations as per Article 5, Para 1 of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction”, June 2020, p. 14, available at: www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/_APMBC-DOCUMENTS/Meetings/2020/18MSP-Bosnia-and-Herzegovina-Extension-Request.pdf.

61 E. G. Berman and R. Pilar (eds), above note 41, pp. 32, 56–57.

62 Stockpile destruction is a humanitarian mine action pillar and a legal obligation in the APMBC (above note 8, Arts 4–5) and the CCM (above note 8, Arts 3–4). See above note 36.

63 “Q&A”, above note 6, p. 1060.

64 “The XXth International Conference of the Red Cross”, above note 43, p. 573.

65 UDHR, above note 49.

66 “IMAS 13.10: Victim Assistance in Mine Action”, in International Mine Action Standards, 17 January 2023. See also Oslo Action Plan, above note 35, Introduction.

67 Oslo Action Plan, above note 35, Actions 3–4.

68 “The XXth International Conference of the Red Cross”, above note 43, p. 573; J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 24.

69 E.g. CCM, above note 8, Art. 4(2)(b); see also “IMAS 12.10”, above note 13. See also, for example, Oslo Action Plan, above note 35, Actions 3–4; Lausanne Action Plan, above note 35, Actions 4–5.

70 This is clearly spelled out in treaties such as the APMBC, and it can be connected to the acceptance of the traditional concept of State sovereignty, including the State's monopoly on violence, by humanitarian disarmament, IHL and international law more generally. See, for example, APMBC, above note 8, Arts 4–5.

71 If party to a relevant treaty, transparency is an actual obligation: see e.g. APMBC, above note 8, Art. 7. See also Oslo Action Plan, above note 35, Action 20.

72 See e.g. European Court of Human Rights, Oruk v. Turkey, Judgment, 4 June 2014, paras 34–37, 42–68.

73 “IMAS 12.10”, above note 13, pp. 14–15.

74 Ibid., p. 14.

75 For a more detailed definition of NTS, see “IMAS 08.10: Non-Technical Survey”, in International Mine Action Standards, 1 February 2019.

76 “Land release” is the “process of applying all reasonable effort to identify, define, and remove all presence and suspicion of [explosive ordnance] through non-technical survey, technical survey and/or clearance”. “IMAS 07.11: Land Release”, in International Mine Action Standards, 1 February 2019.

77 Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NonGovernmental Organisations in Disaster Relief, 1994, para. 7, available at: www.ifrc.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/code-of-conduct-movement-ngos-english.pdf. Humanitarian Charter, above note 42, para. 3.

78 Mine Action Review, Clearing the Mines 2023, 1 September 2023, p. 80.

79 Kasack, Sebastian, “Tailoring Explosive Ordnance Risk Education: How MAG Addresses Gender/Cultural Sensitivities and Local Risk-Taking Behavior”, Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 25, No. 2, 2021Google Scholar.

80 In fact, advocacy is one of the pillars of humanitarian mine action. See note above note 36.

81 “IMAS 12.10”, above note 13, pp. 13–15.

82 MAG and Sierra Leone Commission on Small Arms, Partnership and Progress: Lessons in Effective Arms Control from Sierra Leone, 1 September 2021.

83 H. Slim, above note 6, pp. 180–189.

84 See e.g. J. Labbé and P. Daudin, above note 45, pp. 199–200.

85 Ibid. Cf. H. Slim and M. Bradley, above note 7.

86 J. Labbé and P. Daudin, above note 45, pp. 199–200.

87 Cf. ibid.

88 “The XXth International Conference of the Red Cross”, above note 43, p. 573; J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 34.

89 See e.g. Roundtable on the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, Chatham House, 15 February 2022.

90 J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 35.

91 Ibid.

92 For more details, see Josephine Dresner, “From the Middle East to West Africa: Responding to the Humanitarian Impacts of Improvised Anti-Personnel Mines”, Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog, 8 February 2024, available at: https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/2024/02/08/from-the-middle-east-to-west-africa-responding-to-the-humanitarian-impacts-of-improvised-anti-personnel-mines/.

93 See e.g. Protocol Additional (I) to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts, 1125 UNTS 3, 8 June 1977 (entered into force 7 December 1978), Art. 35.

94 See e.g. Arms Trade Treaty, 3013 UNTS 269, 2 April 2013 (entered into force 24 December 2014), Preamble.

95 At the time of writing, MAG's WAM operations in Mali are suspended.

96 Cf. J. Labbé and P. Daudin, above note 45, pp. 199–200.

97 J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 36.

98 See e.g. ICRC, “Statement at 76th United Nations General Assembly, First Committee General debate on All Disarmament and International Security Agenda Items”, 11 October 2021, available at: www.icrc.org/en/document/statement-76th-general-assembly-disarmament.

99 J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 37.

100 See e.g. Oslo Action Plan, above note 35, Action 4; Lausanne Action Plan, above note 35, Action 4.

101 MAG, Gender and Armed Violence Reduction in West Africa: Lessons Learned from Weapons and Ammunition Initiatives, 2022.

102 UNGA Res. 01 (LXX), 25 September 2015.

103 UNSC Res. 1325, 31 October 2000.

104 C. Loughran and J. Cocking, above note 5. For the latest description of these issues and MAG's approach, see J. Dresner, above note 92.

105 J. Pictet, above note 43, p. 40.

106 Mierop, Ed Schenkenberg van, “Coming Clean on Neutrality and Independence: The Need to Assess the Application of Humanitarian Principles”, International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 97, No. 897–898, 2015, p. 308Google Scholar.

107 H. Slim, above note 46, pp. 42–43.

108 See e.g. UNGA Res. 182 (XLVI), 19 December 1991; UNGA Res. 114 (LVIII), 17 December 2003.

109 See e.g. UNSC Res. 1894, 11 November 2009, para. 13. More generally, see UN Security Council, “September 2021 Monthly Forecast: In Hindsight: Humanitarian Space and the Security Council”, Security Council Report, 31 August 2021, available at: www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2021-09/in-hindsight-humanitarian-space-and-the-security-council.php.