History

The Lebanon Mine Action Authority (LMAA) is a legislative body established in 1998 by the Lebanese Council of Ministers to enhance and facilitate coordination among different ministries in matters relating to mine action. The Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC), a part of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), executes and coordinates the Lebanese National Mine Action Program (LNMAP) on behalf of Lebanon Mine Action Authority (LMAA). 

LMAC is staffed with army personnel assigned to the mine action program from the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Civilian personnel are made available through UNDP support to cover shortfalls. The LMAC office, based in Fayadiyeh, manages all humanitarian demining activities, and has established two Regional Mine Action Centers located in Nabatiyeh (RMAC-N) and Ras Baalbeck (RMAC-RB).

Contamination in Lebanon

Lebanon is faced with a complex Explosive Ordnances threat stemming from four core events; the Israeli occupation (1978 – 2000), the civil war (1975 – 1990), the Israel aggression in 2006 and more recently the spill over of conflict from Syria (2011 – the defeat of the terrorist groups in 2017). The results of these events are a nation-wide contamination with Cluster Munitions Remnants (CM), landmines, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and other Explosive Remnants of War (ERW). Fortunately, due to good survey and an updated national Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database, the Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC) has a good overview of the scale and the location of the remaining contamination.

Vision

lebanese communities prosper, free from the threat of explosive ordnance: LMAC will put the Explosive Ordnance (EO) affected people at the centre of our work. We also acknowledge that we have to work in partnership and, where possible, in an integrated manner with other sectors to ensure that released land is taken into productive use.

Mission

the lebanon mine action program will, in close partnership with relevant stakeholders, continue to use best and emerging practices to ensure an efficient, effective and relevant program lmap: recognises that Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) in Lebanon is a team effort and as the LMAC we will strive to work constructively together to ensure optimal use of our collective resources. We are also aware that close dialogue and interaction with affected communities is important if we are to be relevant and to have the desired impact.

Objectives

LMAC is faced with a number of complex and multifaceted challenges and issues that deserves our attention. With partners, LMAC have identified the following five topics or thematic areas that will be receiving particular attention during coming years:

• Advocacy Lebanon adheres to and promotes relevant disarmament treaties as a means a protecting innocent civilians from the impact of explosive ordnance.
• Fundraising LMAC continues to deliver a high quality product that is in harmony with donors’ intentions and in line with the needs and priorities of the affected communities.
• Capacity development LMAC continues to focus on the capacity development, cooperation and strategic partnerships.
• Accelerate land release LMAC will strive to accelerate land release to complete the release of all confirmed hazardous area contaminated with cluster munitions by 2025, as well as other priority areas affected by mines and other ERW.
• Gender, Diversity and Inclusion the specific needs and perspective of women, girls, men and boys from all groups of society are considered, in order to deliver an inclusive HMA response.