On April 4, 2022, the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs released the 21st Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, a report underscoring the accomplishments of the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Program in 2021.
The United States is the world’s single largest financial supporter of CWD. Since 1993, the United States has invested more than $4.2 billion for the safe clearance of landmines and explosive weapons of war, as well as the securing and safe disposal of excess small arms and light weapons and munitions in more than 100 countries and territories. In 2021, the United States funded CWD efforts in 62 countries with more than $265 million.
Our assistance - that of the United States government and our global partners - is crucial to building a more safe, secure, and prosperous world. Thanks to strong bipartisan funding support from Congress, the Department of State looks forward to continuing this important work with other donor countries, those impacted by conflict, and the brave men and women who work in the field to secure at-risk weapons and munitions and clear landmines and other explosive hazards.
For more information, please consult the PM website or to request a printed copy of To Walk the Earth in Safety, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, at pm-cpa@state.gov, and follow us on Twitter @StateDeptPM.
About the Authors: Kristin Skelton and Stephanie Pico are Public Affairs and Policy officers in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
