Abandoned explosive ordnance
Explosive ordnance that has not been used during an armed conflict, that has been left behind or dumped by a party to an armed conflict, and which is no longer under control of the party that left it behind or dumped it. Abandoned explosive ordnance may or may not have been primed, fused, armed or otherwise prepared for use.
[source: United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Protocol V]
Cluster bombs/munitions/submunitions
Cluster bombs, or cluster munitions, are weapons which can be dropped from the air or fired from the ground. They release numerous explosive fragments – bomblets, or submunitions. Bomblets which fail to explode on impact pose the threat of death or injury long after conflict is over. Their presence means a lack of access to safe land, limiting agricultural development, the reconstruction of vital infrastructure, and the work of relief and development agencies.
Community Liaison (CL)
Community Liaison teams are the eyes and ears of MAG. Their job is to go out and liaise with communities to find out what and where the problem is.
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Conventional Weapons Management and Disposal (CWMD)
This term refers to MAG's work involving Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and other munitions such as aircraft bombs, large calibre artillery, mortar ammunition and rockets.
The main aim here is to assist states in achieving their obligations under the UN Programme of Action and similar regional agreements, such as the Nairobi Protocol. Non-state actors seeking similar support will also be assisted in relation to SALW they are responsible for.
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Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
The safe removal and controlled destruction of unexploded, abandoned and other ordnance.
Explosive remnants of war (ERW)
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance, not including mines or booby-traps.
[source: United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Protocol V]
Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
Often associated with booby traps, IEDs are usually made locally – often referred to as 'homemade' – and have all the elements of a mass manufactured mine or booby trap.
Internally displaced person/people (IDP(s))
People who've been forced to move to other areas of their own country due to conflict.
Man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS)
Portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems.
Mine Action Team (MAT)
Specially trained multi-skilled teams who detect and remove the remnants of conflict.
Mine action
The field we work in relating to the clearance of the remnants of conflict.
Mine Risk Education (MRE)
Life-saving information we provide to those immediately at risk.
Non-governmental organisation (NGO)
An organisation which has no participation or representation from any government.
Remnants of Conflict
MAG uses this term to describe all items recovered and destroyed as part of its humanitarian disarmament activities, which include anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, explosive remnants of war (ie. any type of explosive weapons, including ammunition, but not including landmines), abandoned and unexploded ordnance, and SALW. This term has been developed to reflect more accurately the broad range of clearance activities undertaken by MAG.
Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)
Small arms include revolvers, self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, light machine guns. Light weapons include hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-tank missile and rocket systems, portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), mortars of less than 100mm calibre.
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Unexploded ordnance (UXO)
Explosive weapons – such as bombs, rockets, missiles, mortars and grenades – that did not explode when they were used and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were employed or discarded.
