Humanitarian disarmament and peacebuilding

The Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding sector is one of DRC’s four core sectors of intervention. It seeks to contribute to the fields of disarmament and peacebuilding through a focus on the safety and security of the conflict- and displacement-affected populations at the center of DRC’s mandate.

Our work in Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding is guided by a bottom-up, rights-based approach, which emphasizes the right of conflict- and displacement-affected communities to safety and security.

Community-level activities include, but are not limited to:

  • reducing the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war
  • reducing the risks associated with the storage and circulation of weapons and munitions
  • mitigating and managing the tensions which lead to conflict
  • and improving transparency and accountability in the relationships between local communities and duty bearers, such as local security providers.

Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding at All Levels

While our work starts at the community level, it aims to influence change at all levels to increase the understanding of community-level issues and encourage engagement with them.

This in turn strengthens the formal and informal institutional environment, which influences people’s safety and security at a local, national, and regional level. 

​​​​​​​The joint efforts of the sector contribute to the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 16 promoting peaceful, just, and inclusive institutions and societies.

This is done by combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, removing the threats posed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war, and improving security governance to prevent and manage conflicts.

The programmatic activities support community-based peacebuilding and security and promote sustainability by providing information on peace and security at all levels of society.

The sector is relevant for the development of global policy not only within disarmament and peacebuilding, but also in the humanitarian-development-peace ‘Triple Nexus’.

Five Pillars of Mine Action

HDP’s mine action operations are based on the Ottawa Convention’s Five Pillars of Mine Action:

  1. Clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance
  2. Explosive Ordnance Risk Education
  3. Victim assistance
  4. Advocacy
  5. Stockpile destruction

Demining

The former Danish Demining Group becomes one of four core sectors in Danish Refugee Council

Read more about DRC's core sectors

Ukraine: DRC's achievements in 2025

Narrowing Horizons: Contingencies, coping practices and conflict handling among South…

PARTOCA — Participatory Research Team on Community-Led Action

Ukraine: Staying warm through winter in Kharkiv Oblast

The organisation

Forced back and left behind: Conditions for urban returnees and the urgent need for local…

EU-funded humanitarian action by DRC and partners supports over 845,000 people across…

Protection of Civilians Week 2026: Strengthening protection of civilians in conflict

Manuel Alejandro Tique, trabajador humanitario del Consejo Danés para Refugiados, es…

Statement by the Danish Refugee Council on the continued detention of staff member in…

Statement by DRC on the arrest of a staff member in Venezuela

¿Qué está pasando en América Latina?: 5 tendencias que deberían preocuparnos

Protection reports: Colombia

Homebound: The horrendous journey of close to half a million Afghans forced to return…

Almost 500,000 returning Afghans in desperate need of food, shelter and employment to…

Secretary General Charlotte Slente

The DRC Resettlement Roster

Project 21 - Protection Data for Informed Actions to the Sahel Crisis

The DRC Registration Roster

The Humanitarian Response Roster

Terms of Reference Humanitarian Response Roster

Practicing regenerative resilience of agroecosystems - training video

About us

Where we work

Mama Blanche's story - IN FRENCH

Mama Lucienne's story - IN FRENCH

DRC in the Central African Republic and Cameroon

Project Description: Women and girls create the future: prevention and response to…

Statement: DRC Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Empowering people through economic recovery

After years of crisis, small scale economic recovery brings hope and change in the…

Canadá anuncia financiación a proyectos de migración a través del IRCC, entre esos el…

Joint letter calling on EU actions

Letter to Commissioner Kallas, Suica and Lahbib re. occupied Palestinian territory and…

Tale til FN’s Sikkerhedsråd af DRC Dansk Flygtningehjælp vedr. DR Congo

Speech at the UN Security Council by Danish Refugee Council in New York

International Mine Awareness Day: Buthaina's story promoting awareness about landmines

DRC strongly condemns the intention expressed by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland…

DRC strongly condemns Finland's announcement to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban…

Sudan’s internally displaced: Samia’s journey

“We had nothing but hope”

From the darkness of isolation to the light of hope

Fraudulent website misusing DRC’s name and logo

Emergency response to wildfires in Latakia, Syria

Ukraine: Danish Refugee Council (DRC) statement on the missile strike at a humanitarian…

Ukraine: Dansk Flygtningehjælps (DRC) udtalelse om missilangreb på humanitært…

“A Death Sentence” – Aid Agencies Warn of Israel's Assault on Gaza City

Reaktion på FN’s Undersøgelseskommissions konklusion om Folkedrab i Gaza midt i…

GAZA: Leaders of major aid groups call on world leaders to intervene following UN…

Immediate reaction to UN Commission of Inquiry’s conclusion on genocide in Gaza amid mass…

More content like this

news

International Mine Awareness Day: New study evidences the impact of humanitarian mine action on resilience, peace and development

news

Promoting Community Resilience through the Humanitarian, Basic Needs, and Conflict Sensitivity Nexus

document

Updated DRC Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding Sector Profile 2024

page

PARTOCA — Participatory Research Team on Community-Led Action

Read more about ...

Climate Conflict Emergency Humanitarian mine action Lebanon Occupied Palestinian territory Syria Ukraine Afghanistan Algeria Americas Asia Asylum Bangladesh Burkina Faso Cameroon Camp Chad Children Civil society engagement Colombia Democratic Republic of Congo Denmark Diaspora Djibouti Drought East Africa Economic recovery Ethiopia EU Europe Health Innovation Iraq Jordan Kenya Legal aid Libya Localization Mali Middle East Migration Myanmar Niger Nigeria Peace Protection Safety training Serbia Shelter Somalia South Caucasus South Sudan Sudan Tunisia Türkiye Uganda Venezuela WASH West & North Africa Women Yemen