Innovation Session 2026: Mine Action in Urban Areas
Organized under the Mine Action Innovation Hub, the Innovation Session 2026: Mine Action in Urban Areas is a three-day, in-person event bringing together mine action practitioners, national authorities, debris management and recovery actors, urban planners, researchers, technology providers, and donors. The session addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing the sector today: explosive ordnance (EO) contamination in urban areas.
Recent conflicts have shown that urban contamination, characterized by destroyed infrastructure, extensive rubble and debris, requires:
- adapted methodologies;
- new planning and coordination frameworks;
- stronger engagement with non-mine action actors; and
- innovative operational and technological solutions.
On Day 2, participants will be divided into thematic working groups (up to 10 per group), with a balanced representation across stakeholder types (mine action and other sectors, organizational type, expertise, geography, and gender. Each group will summarize their proposed solution in the form of a project concept, addressing a specific problem statement linked to the below-mentioned ideation themes.
The ideation themes include:
- Land release in urban areas
- Debris and rubble management in urban areas
- Detection of EO in urban areas
- Adapting information management in urban areas
- Prioritization and decision-making in urban areas
- Adapting EORE/CPP approaches in urban areas
- Note: All project concepts will be published here following the session to support voluntary follow-up.
When: 29 September to 1 October 2026
Where: Chemin des Crêts 17, (IFRC), 1209 Geneva, Switzerland
Format: In-person
Application to Participate
Applications to participate in the Innovation Session are now open until 17 July 2026.
Participation will be limited to approximately 100 participants to ensure meaningful interaction and high-quality outcomes. Selection aims to ensure balanced representation across sectors, expertise, geography, and gender. A limited number of sponsorships will be available to facilitate participation from EO -affected countries and territories.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome (accepted/rejected) by the end of July 2026.
*English will be the working language of the session. No official interpretation will be available.
Objectives, Format, and Ideation Themes
Objectives
The session aims to:
- build a shared understanding of EO contamination challenges in urban areas;
- identify key methodological and operational gaps;
- explore innovative tools, technologies, and approaches; and
- develop actionable, high-impact project concepts for follow-up by the sector.
Format
The session is structured to move from knowledge exchange to solution development:
Day 1: Cross-sector plenary discussions and panel sessions.
Day 2: Thematic working groups focused on ideation and concept development.
Day 3 (morning): Presentation, refinement, and prioritization of project concepts.
Ideation themes and problem statements
On Day 2, participants will be divided into thematic working groups (up to 10 per group), with a balanced representation across stakeholder types (mine action and other sectors, organizational type, expertise, geography, and gender. Each group will summarize their proposed solution in the form of a project concept, addressing a specific problem statement linked to the below-mentioned ideation themes.
The ideation themes include:
- Land release in urban areas
- Debris and rubble management in urban areas
- Detection of EO in urban areas
- Adapting information management in urban areas
- Prioritization and decision-making in urban areas
- Adapting EORE/CPP approaches in urban areas
Note: All project concepts will be published here following the session to support voluntary follow-up.
Point of Contact
For additional information about the Innovation Session 2026: Mine Action in Urban Areas, please contact Alain Nellen at a.nellen@gichd.org
Donors
The Innovation Session 2026: Mine Action in Urban Areas, was made possible thanks to the financial support of our donors.
