Today, on 3 April 2026, MINURSO celebrated the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action under this year’s theme: “Invest in peace, Invest in mine action.” At its Headquarters in Laayoune, the Mission hosted a small commemorative ceremony which recalled that mines and UXOs continue to pose an extensive threat to communities in many parts of the world, including in Western Sahara. To this end, the crucial work done by MINURSO's mine action component and its partners in the territory was highlighted.
The SRSG and Head of the Mission, Alexander Ivanko, read this year's message from the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called on all Member States to join and adhere to the relevant instruments including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention – and urged those that have withdrawn to rejoin”. Remarks were also delivered by the Officer-in-Charge of MINURSO's mine action team, Mr. Artyom Harutyunyan, and by Mr. Tony Thompson, the project manager of Safelane Global in Western Sahara.
During the event, two short videos produced by UNMAS were screened, and a display table allowed personnel to learn further about UNMAS’s key activities and to visually examine the varieties of mines and UXOs.
