A 1991–1995 armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia left parts of Croatia contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). The associated danger prevents people from accessing the affected land and using it for agricultural and forestry-related activities, thereby limiting livelihood opportunities.
Croatia ratified the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) in 1998. It subsequently established the Croatian Mine Action Centre (CROMAC) and the Office for Mine Action (OMA) to handle the operational and political aspects of national mine action respectively. Looking to meet Croatia’s international obligations to clear all mine-affected land by 2026, CROMAC and OMA have proceeded with demining and awareness-raising activities across the country, clearing thousands of mines and ERW. The anticipated socio-economic benefits of clearance, political pressure, and funding support from a range of actors, including other states, have influenced these acts of compliance with IHL.
