Preparing for success at the fifth review conference of the mine ban treaty

From 24-26 June 2024, Wilton Park, in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Royal Government of Cambodia, hosted a retreat “Preparing for success at the Fifth Review Conference (RevCon) of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC).” The invitation-only event brought together donors, RevCon host Cambodia and other influential stakeholders. It created a safe space for the discussion of key mine actions challenges to assist the development of the next five-year sector action plan – the Siem Reap Angkor Action Plan (SRAAP) – that will be endorsed at November’s RevCon.

This report summarises the discussions and captures conclusions and recommendations. It is being widely circulated in the hope that it will be useful to the sector as it prepares for the RevCon.

Recommendations

The Oslo Action Plan (OAP) has been an effective guiding framework for mine action under the APMBC. The SRAAP should retain much of the substance, whilst updating and modifying it where necessary to reflect new best practice and respond to new circumstances.

The following “quick wins” are recommended for inclusion in the SRAAP:

“The SRAAP should retain much of the substance, whilst updating and modifying it where necessary”

• Add language on considering climate and the environment, relating to both the impact of mine action activities and their outcomes.
• Place more emphasis on prioritisation within national strategies and workplans.
• Keep the number of indicators manageable, including by removing duplication.
• Build into the action plan a requirement for robust monitoring and evaluation, with increased emphasis on establishing baseline metrics.
• Strengthen the requirement for annual reporting whilst reducing the reporting burden, for example through specifying minimum reporting requirements (e.g. of a few key performance indicators), using the same indicators for multiple reporting, and creating/simplifying templates.
• Add clarity around how to achieve stronger national ownership/empowerment. Make the establishment of more active national mine action platforms an indicator of success (ten at least), encourage initiatives between affected states, and request stronger donor commitment to capacity building.
• Strengthen language on localisation, through enhanced support for local operators across all aspects of mine action. Use donor agreements with international mine action operators to promote closer partnership working between International NGOs and national NGOs.
• Increase the ambition for development and implementation of innovative funding mechanisms. The sector should develop clear user guides and share lessons learned. The SRAAP should encourage new pilot projects including appropriate success indicators, and donors should be encouraged to dedicate additional funding to them.
• Move away from language on ‘donor coordination’ to promote ‘partnership working’ which is more inclusive, reflecting importance of donor states, affected states, and other stakeholders working together.
• Place more emphasis on mental health within victim assistance work.
• With deadlines for Article 5 extension requests approaching for several countries, provide a clear explanation of the process to State Parties, and encourage State Parties to engage early in the process.

Further work ahead of the RevCon is recommended on:

“The sector needs a strong, new narrative that foregrounds the positive impact of mine action on individuals and communities, while remaining realistic about the level of completion that is achievable over next 5 years.”

Increased integration of mine action with other relevant sectors. Mine action has an important enabling role, but there is a need to establish the extent to which it can lead broader integration, the mechanisms available to facilitating this, and an appropriate level of ambition. Further conversations are encouraged on how to increase engagement with other sectors, how to break down donor funding silos to deliver more joint working (e.g. through use of innovative finance mechanisms) and how donors and mine action operators can promote integrated working.

Rewarding good practice. There is clear sector interest in increasing incentives for APMBC State Party compliance, including rewarding pro-active national approaches to delivering strategies and plans. Further work is recommended on the following options: donors channelling up to 20% of funding into supporting contaminated states exemplifying good practice; establishing a completion fund (see also below); rewarding compliance through a Front-Loading model (see also below).

A Completion Fund. Many State parties with Article 5 obligations have relatively small funding needs to reach completion, but struggle to attract funding. There are opportunities for landmine free successes over the next five years. Further work is recommended on whether the establishment of a dedicated completion fund would be an efficient means to help countries get over the line. Establishment of a volunteer stakeholder group is recommended to undertake further work on the concept.

The Front-Loading Model. The “Front-Loading” model is a potential sector game changer, adapting the successful International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). An International Finance Facility for Mine Action (IFFMA) could deliver increasingly regular annual funding, addressing multiple sector priorities. Recommendation for a “coalition of the willing” working group to develop a detailed proposal, including governance arrangements. This working group could build on previous research and analysis, and on the willingness of those involved in establishing the IFFIM model to advise the mine action sector. Consideration should be given to announcing the working group at the Lausanne Ukraine mine action conference in October, or at the RevCon in November.

Other Innovative Finance Mechanisms. The sector should boost the adoption of smaller national and local scale innovative finance mechanisms such as the Development Impact Bond model. A UNDP feasibility study into innovative finance mechanisms for Ukraine, due in September, will make recommendations. Recommendation for donors, including those who expressed an interest at Wilton Park, to come together in a second “coalition of the willing” to facilitate the establishment of early pilot project(s) in Ukraine.

Establishment of partnerships between national mine action centres/authorities. To help increase national capacity and empowerment, recommendation for national mine action centres/authorities to consider forming a group to meet once or twice a year.

The Mine Action Support Group (MASG). As part of a drive to greater partnership working, recommendation is that the MASG reviews its mandate, building on the work of Italy, the current Chair.

Value for Money. The sector would strengthen its case for donor funding through deploying a more multi-faceted and rigorous approach to showing value for money beyond efficiency (e.g. by also covering effectiveness, equity, and the broader economic impact of mine action). Recommendation is that the sector should develop a stronger value for money narrative and measurement.

Cross cutting themes (gender, diversity and, environment). Greater consideration should be given to how integration of cross cutting themes works in practice, capturing appropriate levels of ambition, and balancing sometimes competing objectives (e.g. speed and cost against environmental impact). Existing cross cutting working groups play a key role in producing best practice guidance and disseminating lessons learned. Recommendation is that the environment working group publishes guidance for donors and operators seeking to include a balanced consideration of environment and climate change impact into their interventions.

Advocacy. Recommendation is that the sector considers establishing a “group of friends” to advocate for the sector and increase understanding within other sectors of its enabling function.

Encourage technological innovation. The sector should develop streamlined but robust processes for assessing the utility of new technologies for the mine action sector, emphasising the importance of early engagement with and trialling by mine action operators. Recommendation to identify ways of fast tracking proven technology.

A new narrative. The sector needs a strong new narrative that foregrounds the positive impact of mine action on individuals and communities, while remaining realistic about the level of completion that is achievable over next 5 years. Recommendation is for further reflection on how this could be captured in a new political declaration accompanying the SRAAP.