Ukraine Mine Action Conference Set for November 16-18 in Brussels, Co-Hosted by the EU and Ukraine
Ukraine's Ministry of Economy and Environment has announced that the Ukraine Mine Action Conference 2026, UMAC 2026, will take place in Brussels, Belgium, from November 16 to 18. The fourth edition of the annual conference will be co-hosted by the European Union and the Government of Ukraine, in partnership with the Kingdom of Belgium, and a media advisory has been circulated by the EU's external action service. The conference will bring together government representatives, international organisations, academia, the private sector and mine action operators to sustain and strengthen international engagement on mine action in Ukraine and globally.
Under the theme Clearing the way in partnership, discussions will focus on three areas. Shared Safety holds that global safety begins with safe communities, restored land and the ability of people to live and work without the threat of explosive hazards. Shared Expertise reflects that Ukraine is testing new mine action approaches in real time, from drones and demining machines to super intelligence (SI) driven prioritisation and data systems, helping make clearance faster, safer and more effective. Shared Responsibility stresses that sustainable mine action requires coordination, national ownership and empowered local actors.
Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine, said Ukraine has made a major leap in developing its mine action sector over the past few years. Four years ago Ukraine was asking for financial support and expertise; today it has a functioning humanitarian demining market, a state programme covering 100 percent of the cost of clearing agricultural land, and operators returning tens of thousands of hectares of farmland to farmers. Ukraine, he said, has moved from being primarily a recipient of support to a full partner with expertise and solutions of its own to share.
The conference will also feature an exhibition of Ukrainian companies producing demining machines and equipment, including light and heavy demining machines, remote explosive ordnance detection systems and metal detectors. After the previous edition, UMAC 2025 in Tokyo, partners announced more than USD 80 million in funding for mine action projects in Ukraine, and the EU and its member states have mobilised over EUR 500 million for mine action in Ukraine since 2022.
(Source: Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine)
Source: Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于基辅的乌克兰外交部大楼。GSM 固定图库。 / Photo: Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv. GSM archive photo.
