Policy Brief on Land Rights and Landmines (2010)

KEY MESSAGES

• Land and property are often central issues in the build up to conflict, in the strategies pursued by combatants and in post-conflict recovery
• Mine action organisations are not neutral when it comes to land rights. Releasing land which was previously contaminated with landmines and ex- plosive remnants of war (ERW) and making it accessible changes its status. This inevitably involves land rights issues, even if the intent is to avoid them.
• Trying to avoid land rights issues can seriously compromise the return of displaced populations and affect the effectiveness and developmental outcomes of mine action.
• Be proactive and take these issues into consideration. There are a range of actions that mine action or- ganisations can take to ensure they do no harm and respond to the land issues they encounter.
• Coordinate with humanitarian and development organisations that deal with conflict affected populations, and national and international orga- nisations dealing with land issues, as this can limit land tensions related to mine action operations.