Japan

Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 17 October 2020

In 2019, Japan contributed ¥4 billion (approximately US$37 million) in mine action funding to 22 countries, as well as to global activities.[1]

The largest contribution went to Cambodia, which received more than ¥1 billion ($10.7 million), representing 29% of Japan’s total funding.

Japan reported contributing ¥233.5 million ($2.1million)—or just above 5% of its total mine action funding—through the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to support mine action projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria, as well as some coordination/advocacy costs.

At the Annual Pledging Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, held in Geneva in February 2020, Japan said that its mine action support was not only focusing on “mine clearance, but also on diverse domains including risk education, construction of schools and revitalization of economic activities, in order to promote stability and development.”[2]

As such, Japan contributed $10.9 million to victim assistance in six affected countries (30% of its total contribution).[3] It allocated $11.3 million (or 30%) for clearance and risk education activities in 14 affected states, and $2 million was provided to capacity-building projects in four countries (5%). The remaining $12.6 million went to advocacy, stockpile destruction and other “various” activities which could not be disaggregated by sector (34%).

In February 2018, Japan reiterated its will to provide “continuous support” to the most heavily mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW)-affected countries, and recognized the importance of providing comprehensive support to victim assistance.[4]

Contributions by recipient: 2019[5]

Recipient

Sector

Amount (¥)

Amount (US$)

Cambodia

Capacity-building, clearance, and victim assistance

1,162,542,837

10,663,574

Iraq

Risk education and victim assistance

576,021,888

5,283,635

Myanmar

Risk education and victim assistance

325,176,898

2,982,727

Syria

Risk education, survey, and victim assistance

310,385,827

2,847,054

Sri Lanka

Clearance

276,068,402

2,532,273

Lebanon

Clearance

200,708,000

1,841,020

Afghanistan

Various

169,161,537

1,551,656

Yemen

Capacity-building, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance

152,802,432

1,401,600

Angola

Clearance

149,602,586

1,372,249

Palestine

Risk education and victim assistance

145,714,061

1,336,581

Lao PDR

Capacity-building and risk education

104,665,196

960,055

Palau

Clearance

96,808,234

887,986

Vietnam

Clearance and risk education

69,336,829

636,001

Zimbabwe

Clearance

68,127,361

624,907

Ukraine

Capacity-building, clearance, risk education, stockpile destruction, and victim assistance

50,188,992

460,365

Sudan

Capacity-building, clearance, and victim assistance

35,427,684

324,965

Nigeria

Capacity-building, clearance, and risk education

25,768,294

236,363

Somalia

Capacity-building

25,064,679

229,909

South Sudan

Capacity-building

22,794,992

209,090

Mali

Victim assistance

20,768,310

190,500

Thailand

Clearance

15,407,797

141,330

Global (UNMAS)

Advocacy

8,948,907

82,085

Libya

Victim assistance

4,628,989

42,460

Total

 

4,016,120,732

36,838,385

 

From 2015–2019, Japan contributed ¥22.1 billion (some $196 million) to mine action activities; this is a 6% decrease to its total contribution for the previous five-year period from 2010–2014, when it provided ¥23.6 billion, although after conversion into US dollars this represents a decrease of 25% with $260.5 million provided. Since the end of 2012, the decrease in the value of the yen has had a strong impact on the US dollar value of Japan’s contributions, as illustrated in the table below.

Summary of contributions: 2015–2019[6]

Year

Amount (¥)

% change from previous year (¥)

Amount (US$)

% change from previous year (US$)

2019

4,016,120,732

-2

36,838,385

-1

2018

4,104,891,588

+13

37,181,989

+15

2017

3,638,476,782

-18

32,457,420

-20

2016

4,426,322,473

-26

40,735,528

-17

2015

5,963,052,282

+15

49,261,068

0

Total

22,148,863,857

N/A

196,474,390

N/A

Note: N/A=not applicable.



[1] Average exchange rate for 2019: ¥109.2=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 2 January 2020.

[2] Statement of Japan, Fifth Annual Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 25 February 2020.

[3] The countries receiving victim assistance support were: Iraq, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Palestine, and Syria. Japan also reported contributing to mine action projects including victim assistance activities in Cambodia, Sudan, Ukraine, and Yemen, but the contributions were not disaggregated by sectors.

[4] Statement of Japan, Third Annual Pledging Conference for the Implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 27 February 2018.

[5] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form I, 30 March 2020.

[6] See previous Monitor reports.