NMAS are standards issued by a National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) to guide the management and implementation of mine action projects in a country in a safe, coordinated and efficient manner. NMAS differ significantly from IMAS (International Mine Action Standards). Effective NMAS will reflect the national landmine and ERW threat, the national response to that threat, the situation of survivors and victims and the long-term legislation enacted or planned to support a strategic response to the threat.
Effective NMAS should reflect the procedures of the local mine action programme. But they should also follow the main guiding principles of IMAS and other national and international norms and standards. They should, as well, ensure compliance with international conventions related to landmines and ERW. NMAS should reflect national ownership, protect those most at risk, build national capacity, and maintain and apply appropriate and consistent standards for mine action.
NMAS are largely based on IMAS, but may differ in terms of contents and requirements. NMAS are different from country to country, as they reflect local realities. Like IMAS, NMAS should be developed in consultation with a broad cross section of stakeholders including the government (National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) and Mine Action Center (MAC)), UN, donors, implementing partners (operators), development actors in government, nongovernmental organisations, affected communities and representatives from the legal authority. They need to be reviewed periodically to ensure that they are up-to-date and compliant.
