Brimstone Consultancy Limited is pleased to have assisted Laura Cobham in this article for the Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction. But, what’s it all about?

Humanitarian mine action (HMA) and humanitarian forensic action (HFA) have had a global impact in recent decades. However, these two areas could work more closely together in view of some of the contexts in which they operate. Often when HMA operators clear explosive ord- nance (EO) after conflict, they find human remains, especially in urban areas. When human remains are encountered, they must be dealt with appropriately. In the event that HMA and HFA actors are present in a humanitarian arena, there is a need for an increased awareness and understanding of each other’s role. Similarly, forensic sci- entists working to recover human remains may encounter mines, improvised explo- sive devices (IEDs), or explosive remnants of war (ERW), and they should also actively enable HMA support. This article examines the extent of the cooperation to date and identifies ways in which it can be improved. Recommendations and practical measures are provided to encourage a higher degree of collaboration going forward.