National Steering Committee Meeting

National Steering Committee Meeting on Mine Action – 28 February 2025

After several years, the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) convened the National Steering Committee Meeting on Mine Action on February 28, 2025, chaired by Mr. Ranjith Ariyaratne, Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction, and Housing, with Mr. M.M. Nayeemudeen, Additional Secretary (Projects) of the Ministry/National Director of Mine Action, leading the discussions.

This initiative has taken several steps to strengthen the mine action programme and address the challenges faced by demining organizations on the ground. Ms. Åsa Massleberg, Programme Manager and Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning at the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), attended the meeting and provided strategic insights on how the Sri Lanka Mine Action Programme can achieve its Article 5 obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC). She highlighted key challenges, including funding constraints and the discovery of unknown contamination during completion surveys, which can directly impact Article 5 obligations. Additionally, she reiterated GICHD’s commitment to working alongside Sri Lankan authorities in:

• Developing and implementing the National Mine Action Strategy

• Enhancing the completion strategy and process
• Providing technical support for national mine action standards
• Strengthening information management (IM) support for Sri Lanka

The meeting was attended by high-level officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Environment, and the Department of Forests. All programme managers and representatives from Mine Action Organizations (HALO Trust, MAG, DASH, SHARP, SLA HDU) participated, along with Mr. Vidya Abhayagunawardena, Coordinator of the Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD), Sri Lanka, and Mr. Prasanna Kuruppu, SLFRD (Sri Lanka Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled) Consultant/ Researcher- Disability Affairs. All key officials from the Ministry, NMAC, and RMAO were also in attendance.

Key Points Highlighted by Mr. M.M. Nayeemudeen the National Director for Mine Action Sri Lanka

1. Brief Overview of the Mine Action Strategy – Its journey since 2002 and key milestones.
2. Sri Lanka’s Strategic Planning Process Since 2015 – Strengthened with GICHD support.
3. Donor Support and Stakeholder Engagement – Achievements in mine action under the five pillars.
4. Sri Lanka has received over USD 250 million in grants throughout the period. In 2024, donor contributions amounted to USD 17.5 million.  Global Perspective on Landmines – Comparison with Sri Lanka’s mine action success.
5. GICHD Assistance Since 2015 – Contributions to the Sri Lanka Mine Action Programme.
6. Victim Assistance Engagement – Sri Lanka being selected among four countries (Netherlands, Burkina Faso, Austria, and Sri Lanka) for the APMBC Committee on Victim Assistance (2025-2026).
7. Key Achievements of the Mine Action Programme – (Presentation attached).

All mine action operators (HALO Trust, MAG, DASH, SHARP, SLA HDU) presented their contributions to Sri Lanka’s mine action programme, highlighting progress, challenges, and recommendations for the way forward.

Key Points from Representatives

Ministry of Foreign Affairs & UN Department

• Emphasized that the Foreign Ministry is working on addressing funding challenges and plans to organize a donor coordination meeting in collaboration with NMAC and other relevant authorities.

Ministry of Environment & Department of Forests

• Agreed to expedite the process of signing the MoU between the Department of Forests and the NMAC to accelerate clearance operations in forested areas.

Ministry of Health

• Highlighted ongoing efforts to include Explosive Ordnance (EO) casualty data in the Sex-Age-Disability Disaggregated Data (SADDD) injury surveillance system within the Ministry of Health database.

Ministry of Social Services

• Indicated that Sri Lanka is in the process of updating the national Disability Act, replacing Act No. 28 of 1996, to better align with Victim Assistance (VA) obligations under the APMBC.

Ministry of Finance

• Considered NMAC’s request to increase technical cadre positions and assured support for resource allocation.

Remarks by Mr. Vidya Abhayagunawardena

Mr. Vidya Abhayagunawardena emphasized the following key areas of discussion:

1. The importance of enacting local regulations for implementing the Disability Convention (UNCRPD) and the Convention on Cluster Munitions without delay.
2. Ratification of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) – Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW).
3. The need for high-level political support for mine action, including His excellency the President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s potential visit to mine-affected areas to engage with affected communities.
4. Sri Lanka’s potential to assume the Presidency of the Meeting of States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) in the next available term.
5. Acknowledgment of the international donor community’s support for Sri Lanka’s mine action efforts.
6. Aligning the National Mine Action Programme with the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative to promote sustainable land use and development.

Remarks by Mr. Prasanna Kuruppu

GoSL should explore opportunities for resources mobilization for risk education and VA at global forums such as

1. Global Disability Summitt GDS-2025 in Berlin 1-3 April 2025
2.Conference of State Parties to the CRPD New York 11-13 June 2025. GoSL is the President- CoSP 2025-2026