BiH remains heavily contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) and is still considered one of the most landmine-affected countries in the world. Mine contamination jeopardises safe usage of basic resources such as agricultural land, forests, and woods. Mines also block access to key public services (education, and healthcare) and pose a constant threat for people living near mine fields, affecting, together with the cluster munitions, the lives of 650,000 people.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) ratified the Mine Ban Treaty in 1998 and is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines by no later than 1st March 2019. BiH is highly unlikely to complete this goal: the progress in demining remains relatively slow (due notably to a lack of financial resources and a previous lack of engagement by the national authorities). Significant external support is needed to sustain and speed up mine action activities thus enabling land release for productive use by the affected population.