The National Mine Action Centre (NMAC), in collaboration with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), successfully hosted a comprehensive series of high-impact events from 28 April to 2 May 2025. The week culminated in the Donor Coordination and Appreciation Ceremony presided over by the Honorable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, underscoring the national commitment to achieving a mine-free Sri Lanka.

These milestone events were organized at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, and brought together key national and international stakeholders in a unified effort to take stock, assess progress, and define the path forward toward a mine-free Sri Lanka.

1. Completion Survey Stocktaking Workshop – 28 April 2025

The week began with a Completion Survey Stocktaking Workshop, jointly facilitated by NMAC and GICHD.

Objectives included:

• Providing a comprehensive overview of the current completion survey landscape,
• Summarizing achievements and results since the previous stocktaking in June 2024,
• Identifying operational and strategic challenges to implementing the completion survey.

Participants: Representatives from NMAC, GICHD, Regional Mine Action Offices (RMAO), operations and information management staff from operators (DASH, SHARP, HALO Trust, MAG), and Sri Lanka Army Humanitarian Demining Unit (SLA HDU).

This technical session allowed for an evidence-based update that directly fed into the strategy review process, ensuring that forward planning is rooted in ground realities.

2. Mid-Term Strategy Review Workshop – 29–30 April 2025

The central event of the week was the Mid-Term Strategy Review Workshop, gathering a wide range of stakeholders across government, civil society, and international partners.

Objectives of the review included:

• Looking back: Measuring progress against strategic objectives and targets since the launch of the strategy in 2023.
• Understanding the present: Analyzing sectoral shifts both nationally and globally.
• Charting the future: Determining actionable next steps to ensure Sri Lanka meets its obligations under Article 5 of the APMBC.

Participants: Country directors, programme and operations managers from implementing partners (DASH, SHARP, MAG, HALO), SLA HDU, Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines  (SLCBL), and key government ministries including Defence, Foreign Affairs, Education, Environment, Health, Rural development  and Social Security and Empowerment, Wildlife, and Finance & Planning.

This forum reinforced collective ownership of Sri Lanka’s mine action strategy and positioned the country to move confidently towards timely completion.

3. Donor Coordination and Appreciation Ceremony – 2 May 2025

The week concluded with a landmark Donor Coordination and Appreciation Ceremony, attended by high-level dignitaries, including:

• Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (Chief Guest)
• Hon. Mr. Anura Karunathilaka, Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing
• Mr. Ranjith Ariyaratne, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing
• Senior Government Officials, including Additional Secretaries and Directors General
• Ambassadors and High Commissioners from Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, Government of India
• Major General Lanka Amarapala RWP RSP ndc psc, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers on behalf of the Army Commander and Representative form Sri Lanka Army  Humanitarian Demining Unit (SLA HDU)
• All Mine Action Operators , HALO trust, MAG, DASH SHARP and SLA HDU
• Representative form International Organization UNDP and UNICEF
• Representatives from the Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines, implementing partners, civil society, and development organizations

Event Highlights:

• Presentation of key findings from the mid-term review and simulation of various funding and completion scenarios.
• Launch of the new NMAC website, enhancing transparency and access to data for stakeholders.
• Recognition Plaques presented to donor representatives by the Hon. Prime Minister, honoring their unwavering support to Sri Lanka’s humanitarian demining efforts.
• Art Competition Awards Ceremony for school children from the Northern Province, celebrating youth engagement and awareness on mine action. Winners were recognized by the Hon. Prime Minister herself, symbolizing the nation’s commitment to securing a safer future for the next generation.

Stakeholders hailed the event as a strong demonstration of Sri Lanka’s continued leadership in mine action, especially in a global context marked by funding uncertainties. The unified message of the week emphasized collaboration, transparency, and evidence-based planning as essential pillars for the programme’s successful completion.

A Call for Sustained Partnership

The donor coordination meeting served as a platform to advocate for sustained and diversified funding and highlighted the vital role that international and national actors play in achieving the shared goal of a mine-free Sri Lanka. Discussions reaffirmed that, despite recent funding challenges, Sri Lanka’s Mine Action Programme remains resilient, unified, and strategically aligned with global best practices.