AMAT is a global mechanism for practical, authoritative and effective assistance in conventional ammunition through-life management, from the identification of the ammunition through to its disposal.
AMAT provides strategic advice and technical services to states and partners, promoting safe, secure and sustainable management of ammunition, in line with the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG).
Through its collaboration with states on ammunition safety and security, AMAT is contributing to a global reduction of the risk of accidental explosion and diversion, and ultimately supporting safer communities and more stable states and societies.
Established in January 2019, following the mandate of the UN Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament, the AMAT is a joint initiative of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its UN SaferGuard Programme.
AMAT and the Ammunition Management Community of Practice
Our work draws on the expertise of the GICHD, the UN SaferGuard roster of experts and our partners, their connection to broader explosive ordnance and arms control issues, and their ability to act on them. In practise, AMAT’s support to the ammunition management community falls into three main categories:
Data and analytics
Collection and analysis of data to understand who does ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ in ammunition management; identifying needs, gaps, and priorities, and informing the development of solutions.
AMAT’s publications and knowledge platforms include:
- AMAT Insights
- Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP)
- Arms and Ammunition Management Validation System (AAMVS)
- Explosive Ordnance Guides
Technological development
Development of fit-for-purpose tools, methodologies and diagnostic approaches designed to support states and partners in assessing and tracking their progress in implementing effective through-life ammunition management practices.
Notable tools and methodologies include:
- Ammunition Inventory Management System (AIMS)
- Ammunition Safety Management (ASM) Toolset
- Comprehensive IATG Training Package
- Digitalised IATG for International Use
- Standardised Assessment Methodology (SAM) Toolkit
Event curation
Design and delivery of events – in-person and virtual – with diverse audiences (high-level speakers, policy practitioners and technical experts), aimed at increasing awareness on and sharing of lessons learned when addressing safety and security risks of conventional ammunition.
Recent events include:
- Geneva Informal Dialogues in support of the Open-ended Working Group on Conventional Ammunition
- Regional High-level seminar for RECSA States
- Innovation for Action Workshop Series
AMAT Tools
Digitalised IATG for International Use
A database that allows users to navigate the extensive set of guidelines on safe and secure ammunition management and find the required information quickly and easily, with the option of translating them into Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
IATG Comprehensive Training Package
A comprehensive training package developed under the UN SaferGuard Programme by AMAT for the use of donor states, beneficiary states, and operators who deliver trainings on the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG).
Arms and Ammunition Management Validation System
The AAMVS is a mechanism that can provide transparent and critical analysis of the concurrence of national arms and ammunition management capabilities in line with international good practices.
Standardised Assessment Methodology (SAM) Toolkit
Comprises seven tools which allow for identifying needs, gaps and entry points for strengthening organisational capability for safe, secure and effective through-life ammunition management at all levels (strategic, operational and technical).
AMAT Publications
Iraq National Mine Action Strategy 2023 - 2028
This National Mine Action Strategy presents the strategic orientation for the Republic of Iraq's mine action programme 2023-2028. It replaces the National Strategic and Executive Plan for Mine Action 2017-2021, builds on...
- Available in Arabic, English
GICHD Annual Report 2022
For the past 25 years, the GICHD has worked towards reducing risks to communities caused by explosive ordnance. We are helping to develop and professionalise mine action and ammunition management for the benefit of our partners at...
- Available in English
Operational Efficiency in Mine Action
In the mine action sector, as in so many others, efficiency is a central concern in operations. Efficiency in mine action is defined as a measure of how economically resources/inputs (funds, expertise, time, etc.) are converted to...
- Available in English, French, Spanish
Sri Lanka National Mine Action Completion Strategy
This National Mine Action Completion Strategy presents the strategic orientation for Sri Lanka’s mine action programme from 2023 to 2027, developed by National Mine Action Center (NMAC) with the support of the Geneva International...
- Available in English
GUIDE TO EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE POLLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Mine action survey and clearance operations have always focused on the contamination that can be seen. Whether it is anti-personnel (AP) mines, anti-vehicles (AV) mines, or explosive remnants of war (ERW), our efforts focus on...
- Available in English
AMAT Insights Issue 2 Version 3 of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG)
In 2011, the United Nations released the first version of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) providing states with voluntary guidance on best practices and international standards in ammunition management to...
- Available in English
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Land Release and Stockpile Destruction Operations – Notes on a New Technical Note for Mine Action | The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction. Issue 25.1
The purpose of this article is to set out why the Technical Note for Mine Action (TNMA) was developed and explain certain aspects of its content, particularly those where prolonged debate was necessary in order to achieve...
- Available in English
Remote Sensing and Artificial Intelligence in the Mine Action Sector | The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction. Issue 25.1
Remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are included in discussions of how technology and innovation can improve humanitarian action and international peacekeeping. These technologies have the potential to...
- Available in English
Mental Health: Taking a Proactive Approach to Support Staff in Mine Action | The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction. Issue 25.1
This article aims to contribute to existing conversations on how actors in the mine action (MA) sector can work together to promote mental health in the workplace as well as prevent and mitigate adverse mental health outcomes.
- Available in English
AMAT Quarterly Reports
2020 Q4 Report AMAT (290 kB)
2020 Q3 Report AMAT (191 kB)
2020 Q2 Report AMAT (113 kB)