These weapons can lie dormant for many years, claiming victims long after a conflict has ended. They are a significant cause of disability, instilling fear in whole communities, deepening poverty and acting as a lethal barrier to development. More than half of the world's countries are affected by contamination from landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war.

About our work

Handicap International has become one of the reference organizations on landmine and cluster bomb issues. Our organization's roots stem to Thailand in 1982, in response to landmine injuries suffered by Cambodian refugees. Soon, we realized that action needed to be taken at an international level to ban these horrific weapons.

Handicap International played a key role in founding the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, for which we were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, following the signing of the Mine Ban Treaty in 1997.

We are also a founding member of the Cluster Munition Coalition, and actively campaign in support of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which came into effect on August 1, 2010.

Handicap International is also a founder and coordinating member of the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, which monitors these two international treaties and produces annual reports on their implementation.

Our prevention work and political campaigning aims to bring an end to the killing and maiming of farmers working the land or children on their way to school. Political action, health care, orthopedic fitting, assistance, awareness raising and mine-clearance have become the corner stones of our anti-mine campaign.