The Sectoral Working Group
The Sectoral Working Group on Humanitarian Demining (hereinafter referred to as the SWG) is an advisory and consultative body of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, which serves as a single, permanent platform for coordinating and aligning areas of cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining jointly with development partners (hereinafter referred to as the Partners).
The SWG was established in September 2023. Since then, eight SWG meetings have been held: in October and December 2023; May, October, and December 2024; and July, October, and December 2025.
More detailed information on the SWG’s Rules of Procedure, its membership, and meeting minutes is available on the official website
of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
Key objectives of the SWG:
- mobilizing the Partners support for priority needs and tasks in the field of humanitarian demining;
- facilitating the effective use of mobilized support;
- maintaining high-level dialogue with the Partners on policy in the field of humanitarian demining;
- ensuring continuous information exchange between the relevant state authorities of Ukraine and the Partners.
Tasks of the SWG:
- communicating needs, priorities, and tasks in the field of humanitarian demining to the Partners;
- coordinating ongoing and planned projects;
- engaging the Partners in an advisory capacity in the development of strategic documents in the field of humanitarian demining;
- informing the Partners about the results and plans of the Government of Ukraine in this area;
- conducting regular monitoring and analysis of needs and provided support;
- aligning joint activities to achieve planned results in accordance with strategic documents in the field of humanitarian demining.
At the initial stage of its establishment, the SWG was chaired by Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine. Since the SWG meeting in September 2025, Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, has served as Co-Chair.
Currently, the SWG is co-chaired by three Co-Chairs:
 |  |  |
| Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine | Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine | Matthias Schmale, UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine and Humanitarian Coordinator |
Since its establishment, the number of the SWG members has increased from 46 to 65, representing 52 countries, organizations, and institutions (including representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Center for Humanitarian Demining).
The total amount of support provided and committed by the Partners in the field of mine action has exceeded USD 1.5 billion (equivalent) for the period 2022–2030.
Results of the SWG’s activities:
- since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation in 2022, more than USD 1.5 billion in international assistance has been mobilized for the mine action sector (in the area of humanitarian demining), a significant portion of which was facilitated through the SWG’s work;
- continuity of political dialogue between the Government of Ukraine and international partners has been ensured;
- regular bilateral meetings are held with the current and potential Partners to coordinate ongoing projects and align them with the National Mine Action Strategy until 2033;
- continuous monitoring and analysis of the Partner support has been established;
- proposals for specific instruments of long-term cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining have been developed and presented to the Partners.