Netherlands

Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 15 December 2023

In 2022, the Netherlands contributed €23.8 million (US$25 million) in mine action funding to 13 states and for global activities.[1]

In 2022, through its 2020–2024 program on mine action, the Netherlands contributed a total of €16.7 million ($17.6 million, or 70% of its total contribution) to international non-governmental organization (NGO) partners to implement mine action activities. These partners included Mines Advisory Group (MAG), the Danish Refugee Council, the HALO Trust, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). A further €3 million ($3.1 million), representing 12% of its contribution, went to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) for unearmarked activities. The remaining €4 million ($4.3 million, or 18%) went to projects in Lebanon and Yemen through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Contributions by recipient: 2022[2]

Recipient*	Sector	Amount (€)	Amount (US$)
Global (Afghanistan, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine)	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	5,469,861	5,761,952
Global (Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, Ukraine)	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	3,922,222	4,131,669
Global (Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe)	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	3,768,560	3,969,801
Yemen	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	3,593,285	3,785,166
Global	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	3,000,000	3,160,200
Global (Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon)	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	2,970,395	3,129,014
Global	Clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy	553,213	582,755
Lebanon	Capacity-building	482,179	507,927
Total	-	23,759,715	25,028,484

*For funding designated as ‘Global’ where multiple states are listed in brackets, the support was provided to a specific international NGO for mine action activities in several countries.

Mine action assistance approach

Since 2012, the Netherlands has been a strong advocate for a multiyear funding approach to mine action. It has cited administrative efficiency, the building of strategic partnerships, cost-effective implementation, and the commitment to building national capacity in mine action as benefits of multiyear funding.[3]

In 2019, the Netherlands conducted an evaluation of its mine action policy. Among the main recommendations were to increase the focus on capacity-building, and to facilitate integration between mine action and development activities. The evaluation served as a basis to elaborate the Netherlands’ Mine Action and Cluster Munitions Programme for 2020–2024, with a budget of €51 million ($57.1 million).[4]

The Mine Action and Cluster Munitions Programme supports mine action projects in 15 states: Afghanistan, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.[5] It also provides a contingency allocation of €10 million ($10.5 million) to be earmarked for emergency response projects.[6]

Five-year support to mine action

From 2018–2022, the contribution of the Netherlands to mine action totaled €82.8 million ($93.5 million). In comparison, during the previous five-year period from 2013–2017, the Netherlands contributed €96.7 million ($115.7 million). This represents a 15% decrease when expressed in national currency terms, and a 19% decrease after conversion into United States (US) dollars.

Summary of contributions: 2018–2022[7]

Year	Amount (€)	Amount (US$)	% change from previous year (US$)
2022	23,759,715	25,028,484	+16
2021	18,183,160	21,510,679	+69
2020	11,141,149	12,712,049	-15
2019	13,308,317	14,897,330	-23
2018	16,377,903	19,353,767	+1
Total	82,770,244	93,502,309	N/A

Note: N/A=not applicable.

[1] Average exchange rate for 2022: €1=US$1.0534. United States (US) Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 9 January 2023.

[2] Netherlands Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form I. See, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Database; and Netherlands Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form I. See, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Database.

[3] Government of the Netherlands, “How to Get More Value for Money in Humanitarian Mine Action? Benefits of Multi-Year Funding: Different Perspectives, Common Interests,” paper presented at side event, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee Meeting, Geneva, 27–31 May 2013. See also, statement of the Netherlands, Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings, held virtually, 22 June 2021.

[4] Statement of the Netherlands, Fifth Annual Pledging Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 25 February 2020.

[5] Netherlands Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2022), Form I.

[6] Government of the Netherlands, “Mine Action and Cluster Munitions Programme 2020–2024,” undated. Average exchange rate for 2022: €1=US$1.0534. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 9 January 2023.

[7] See previous Support for Mine Action country profiles. ICBL-CMC, “Country Profiles: Netherlands,” undated.