Netherlands

Support for Mine Action

Last updated: 18 November 2021

In 2020, the Kingdom of the Netherlands contributed €11.1 million (US$12.7 million)[1] in mine action funding to 10 states and for global activities.

Overall, the Netherlands provided half of its funding to mine action projects in the Middle East and North Africa Region, with five countries—Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen—receiving a combined total of €5.5 million ($6.2 million). A further €3.4 million ($3.9 million)—representing 30% of its contribution—went to global activities, in particular to UNMAS for unearmarked activities.

The remaining €2.3 million ($2.6 million) went to projects in Afghanistan, Lao PDR, Somalia, South Sudan and Ukraine.

Contributions by recipient: 2020[2]

Recipient	Sector	Amount (€)	Amount (US$)
Global	Advocacy and unearmarked funding	3,396,789	3,875,736
Iraq	Capacity-building, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance	2,899,995	3,308,894
Yemen	Capacity-building, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance	1,252,537	1,429,145
Afghanistan	Clearance and risk education	698,641	797,149
Lebanon	Clearance and risk education	578,996	660,634
South Sudan	Clearance and risk education	566,993	646,939
Ukraine	Clearance and risk education	449,797	513,218
Syria	Capacity-building, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance	402,261	458,980
Somalia	Clearance and risk education	350,566	399,996
Libya	Clearance and risk education	335,599	382,918
Lao PDR	Capacity-building, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance	208,975	238,440
Total		11,141,149	12,712,049

Mine action assistance approach

Since 2012, the Netherlands has been a strong advocate for a multiyear funding approach to mine action and has cited the improvement of administrative efficiency, the building of strategic partnerships, cost-effective implementation, and the commitment to building national capacities 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 synergy and integration between mine action and development activities. The evaluation served as a basis to elaborate the Netherlands’ new humanitarian mine action and cluster munitions support programme for 2020–2024, with a budget of €51 million ($57.1 million).[4]

The Netherlands’ multiannual Mine Action and Cluster Munitions Programme plans to support mine action projects in 9 countries: Afghanistan Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.[5] The projects will be run by Danish Demining Group (DDG), the HALO Trust, Humanity & Inclusion (HI), Mines Advisory Group (MAG), and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). It also provides a contingency allocation of €10 million ($11.4 million) to be earmarked for emergency response projects.[6]

COVID-19 and mine action

In May 2021, the Netherlands reported that its level of funding for 2020 had not been impacted by the pandemic, while its new humanitarian mine action policy for 2020–2024 was said to be “COVID-19 sensitive.”[7]

Five-year support to mine action

From 2016–2020, the contribution of the Netherlands totaled more than €80 million ($92.4 million), and declined by more than half (51%). In comparison, during the previous five-year period from 2011–2015, the Netherlands contributed €91 million ($116.8 million). This represents a 12% decrease when expressed in national currency terms, and a 21% decrease after conversion into US dollars (a $24.4 million drop).

Summary of contributions: 2016–2020[8]

Year	Amount (€)	Amount ($)	% change from previous year ($)
2020	11,141,149	12,712,049	-15
2019	13,308,317	14,897,330	-23
2018	16,377,903	19,353,767	+1
2017	16,964,186	19,171,227	-24
2016	23,750,694	26,296,768	+19
Total	81,542,249	92,431,141	N/A

Note: N/A=not applicable.

[1] Average exchange rate for 2020: €1=US$1.141. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 4 January 2021.

[2] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 2020; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Lucas Daalhuisen, Policy Officer, Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid Department, Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2021.

[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 by the Netherlands at the Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee Meetings in Geneva, 27–31 May 2013. See also, statement of the Netherlands on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance, 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] Statement of the Netherlands on the Enhancement of Cooperation and Assistance, Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings (held virtually), 22 June 2021; and government of the Netherlands, “Mine Action and Cluster Munition Programme 2020–2024,” undated.

[6] Government of the Netherlands, “Mine Action and Cluster Munition Programme 2020–2024,” undated. Average exchange rate for 2020: €1=US$1.141. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 4 January 2021

[7] Mine Action Support Group meeting, held virtually, Minutes, 28 May 2021; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Lucas Daalhuisen, Policy Officer, Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid Department, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2021.

[8] See previous Monitor reports. The figure for total support in 2016 has been rectified as a result of revised funding data reported in the Netherlands’ Article 7 report for calendar year 2019. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 2020.