Japan
Support for Mine Action
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.