A Message from Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tina S. Kaidenow

Supporting conventional weapons destruction (CWD) is a cornerstone of our national security policy. This 2016 edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety highlights the United States programs, managed primarily by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), that keep weapons and ammunition out of the wrong hands and assist nations in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The dangers posed by mines and UXO can linger for decades. In areas reeling from recent fighting, stabilization and humanitarian assistance efforts are effectively blocked until key sites are cleared of explosive hazards. Civilian populations near contaminated land could face permanent injury or death by performing everyday activities such as accessing clean water or walking to work or school.

Our programs continue to evolve to reflect changes on the ground. On the one hand, casualties from factory-made anti-personnel landmines have fallen steadily in recent years, which is very good news. We can be proud that investments in mine action and the hard and dangerous work of the demining teams has paid off, clearing contaminated land in many places and making it safe for communities to return and resume their livelihoods. On the other hand, when casualties from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and UXO are added to the calculus, the story is much more sobering, with a sharp increase from 2014 to 2015, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen — countries with active armed conflicts — account for much of this disturbing spike. The work ahead is unrelenting, particularly as we and the international community consider how to respond to the emerging threat from IEDs.

This work truly requires international cooperation and coordination. Following the February 2016 announcement of the Global Demining Initiative for Colombia led by the United States and Norway, a September 2016 highlevel meeting at the United Nations raised over $100 million from 21 countries and the European Union for this effort. It was an honor to have been part of this historic initiative.

PM/WRA’s life-saving and life-changing CWD programs would not be possible without our implementing partners, other donors, international organizations, and host countries. The success of our programs is built on strong bipartisan support from Congress and the people of the United States, who recognize that our nation benefits from helping to create a world in which all may walk the earth in safety.

Ambassador Tina S. Kaidanow Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of Political-Military Affairs U.S. Department of State