Ukrainian National Humanitarian Demining Association supported the initiative to create a sectoral organisation of employers in the field of demining
An important meeting of representatives of humanitarian demining operators, trade unions, NGOs and the leadership of the Association of Employers of Ukraine (AEOU) and the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE) took place at the Union of Employers of Ukraine (UEU). Among the participants was the Ukrainian National Humanitarian Demining Association, which actively participated in the professional discussion of the industry’s pressing problems.
The meeting focused on key challenges faced by demining operators, including the lack of proper legal status for deminers, insufficient funding, and the disproportionately low cost of demining, which threatens both the sustainability of companies and the safety of workers.
The participants initiated the creation of a sectoral organisation of employers in the field of humanitarian demining. This step is intended to become a platform for systematic representation of the industry’s interests at the state policy level, discussion of regulations, development of reasonable financial standards for different types of demining, and ensuring decent social protection for specialists.
Oleksii Botnarenko, First Deputy Head of the Association, stressed that the Association is already finalising a comprehensive draft law on humanitarian demining, which will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada through existing inter-factional deputy associations. He also called on the URA and ULIE to join the process of supporting this legislative initiative to ensure its prompt registration and consideration in the parliament.
Particular attention was paid to fair remuneration, the establishment of a special status for deminers as war veterans, as well as the need to improve the state Humanitarian Demining Strategy, which today remains declarative and does not contain realistic mechanisms to support operators.
The Ukrainian National Humanitarian Demining Association fully supports the initiative to establish an industry employers’ organisation and considers this step strategically important for consolidating efforts, defending the interests of the industry and actively influencing the formation of state policy in the field of mine action.
In today’s environment, when humanitarian demining is a guarantee of public safety, economic recovery and return of territories to peaceful life, strengthening the industry’s institutional capacity is a necessity, not a choice.