The development and expansion of the compensation programme for farmers for land demining services is one of the key priorities for the upcoming year. Partners have expressed interest in the programme, which operates transparently and delivers results. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Economy Ihor Bezkaraivny during the fifth meeting of the Sectoral Working Group (SWG) "Humanitarian Demining."
"This year, we opened the market for humanitarian demining services and launched a compensation mechanism for farmers who purchase demining services. To date, 39 auctions have been held, with savings of more than 17%. The compensation programme has significant demand among farmers. Therefore, its expansion will be one of our key priorities in 2025. The State Budget of Ukraine for next year allocates 1 billion UAH for the programme. We aim to attract additional funds for its implementation to clear larger areas within the programme, including forests and water bodies," said Ihor Bezkaraivny.
At the SWG meeting, the results of demining activities (DMA) in Ukraine in 2024 were summarized, and plans for 2025 were discussed. Key results of 2024 include:
- The adoption of the National Mine Action Strategy and the Operational Plan. This provided the mine action sector in Ukraine with a clear "roadmap" for the coming years.
- Surveying and clearing contaminated areas. DMA specialists have returned nearly 35.5 thousand square kilometers of Ukrainian land to productive use.
- Strengthening capabilities. Ukraine now has more than 150 heavy demining machines, over 4,000 sappers, and 69 demining operators, with about 60 more operators undergoing certification.
- The opening of the demining market and the implementation of state programmes supporting farmers, equipment manufacturers, developers, and innovators.
In 2024, significant attention was given to the implementation of the second goal of the Strategy—ensuring the safety of people and the human dimension. A new civilian profession, deminer, was introduced in Ukraine, and work began to involve veterans, people with disabilities, and others in mine action.
Important steps were also taken to improve the mine action management system. The Humanitarian Demining Center began its work, aimed not to replace but to complement existing structures in areas that require more effort. A unified certification procedure for operators was introduced, and the certification of demining equipment according to international standards has begun.
Next year, work on all key areas will continue.
A significant portion of the SWG meeting was dedicated to discussing the funding of projects in 2025 and the implementation of innovative financing mechanisms. As noted, work on developing mechanisms such as sustainable development bonds, as well as other blended financing tools, will continue. The participants also discussed steps to further strengthen coordination in the field of mine action in Ukraine.
The Sectoral Working Group "Humanitarian Demining" was established in September 2023 as a platform for comprehensive coordination between the Government of Ukraine and international partners in the field of humanitarian demining.
