To Walk the Earth in Safety: New Report Showcases U.S. Global Leadership in Landmine Clearance and Conventional Weapons Destruction

Media Note

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs has released the 14th Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, a report summarizing the accomplishments of the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction Program. For more than 20 years, the United States has led the international donor community in promoting peace and security worldwide by partnering with nations to address humanitarian hazards from landmines and unexploded ordnance in post-conflict countries, as well as to reduce the availability of excess, loosely-secured, or otherwise at-risk weapons and ordnance.

In fiscal year 2014, the Department of State provided approximately $140 million in conventional weapons destruction assistance in more than 40 countries. Among the report’s highlights are increased engagement in addressing U.S.-origin unexploded ordnance in Southeast Asia; the launch of the first-ever mine clearance operation in the West Bank; and efforts to help countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chad, and Niger secure military armaments and munitions inventories to reduce potential risks of illicit proliferation.