Mine Action Terms

Battle Area Clearance (BAC)

The systematic and controlled clearance of dangerous areas where the explosive hazards are known not to include landmines. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Civil Society

Civil society is the “third sector” of society, along with government and business. It comprises civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations.” It includes organizations such as academia, community clubs and organizations, NGOs, political parties, religions organizations and unions. [Source: un.org]

Demining

The set of activities that lead to the removal of mine and ERW hazards, including survey, mapping, clearance, marking, and the handover of cleared land. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)

The detection, identification, evaluation, rendering safe, recovery, and disposal of explosive ordnance. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE)

Activities which seek to reduce the risk of death and injury from explosive ordnance by raising awareness of women, girls, boys, and men in accordance with their different vulnerabilities, roles, and needs and by promoting behavioral change. This includes public information dissemination, education and training, and community liaison. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)

Under Protocol V to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, explosive remnants of war are defined as unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance. Mines are explicitly excluded from the definition. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

A device placed or produced in an improvised manner incorporating explosives or noxious chemicals. An improvised explosive device (IED) may be victim-activated or command-detonated. Victim-activated IEDs are banned under the Mine Ban Treaty, but command-detonated IEDs are not. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Victim-activated IED: An IED which is detonated by the victim.

Remote-activated IED: An IED that is detonated on command from a distance, often wirelessly using a mobile phone.

Vehicle-borne IED (VBIED): A vehicle outfitted with an IED; often referred to colloquially as a ‘car bomb.’

Landmine

Any one of several types of explosive weapon buried in the ground:

Antipersonnel mine: According to the Mine Ban Treaty, an antipersonnel mine “means a mine designed to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or kill one or more persons.” [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Antitank mine: a type of antivehicle mine designed to damage or destroy tanks.

Antivehicle mine: According to the Mine Ban Treaty, an antivehicle mine is a mine designed “to be detonated by the presence, proximity or contact of a vehicle as opposed to a person.” [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]

Blast mine: a category of antipersonnel mine designed to inflict injury through the force of an explosive blast, which usually results in the loss of a foot.

Fragmentation mine: a category of antipersonnel mine designed to inflict injury by spreading shrapnel across a wide area.

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

A non-profit organization that exists independently from state governments and inter-governmental organizations.

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) refers to munitions that were designed to explode but for some reason failed to detonate. [Source: Landmine Monitor 2022]