Our History
FSD has been active in mine action for over 25 years.
: Cartography is a key part of the demining process. Here, an FSD expert marks areas that are potentially contaminated by explosive devices (Ukraine, 2020)
History
Since its first project in Bosnia-Herzegovina, FSD has been active in about thirty countries, with the same will to provide humanitarian aid where it is most needed.
2019
Mandated by the European Commission, FSD teams started constructing and maintaining camps intended for the long-term deployment of peace forces in the Central African Republic.
2018
FSD started to deploy its first female demining teams In Iraq. FSD also published its first consolidated accounts including the Association FSD France.
2015
FSD restarted its mine action programme in Iraq with support of the US Department of State. In the Central African Republic, FSD initiates a security sector reform project, rehabilitated FACA camps and conducted numerous risk education seminars.
2014
FSD started a new mine action programme in Ukraine supported by the Canadian government. FSD also launched its first security sector programme in the Central African Republic. FSD got its first ISO 9001 certification.
2013
FSD started an assessment of the Mali Army’s capability in Physical Security and Stockpile Management and delivered trainings for both ammunition handlers and ammunition depot managers.
2012
FSD started a new programme in support to the Armenian mine action authorities. The same year, FSD’s large scale Sri Lanka operation involving at some stage more than one thousand deminers ended.
2011
FSD started assessing legacy extractive mines in Kyrgyzstan and deployed its first teams for mine action to war-stricken Libya as well as to the newly founded South Sudan.
2010
FSD’s acquired first experience with deploying imagery drones. In Tajikistan, FSD started environmental projects covering radioactive remediation of former Uranium production sites. In Myanmar, FSD started building infrastructure for internally displaced persons.
2008
FSD’s commercial subsidiary Crosstech SA was mandated to change potentially dangerous batteries of numerous telecoms towers in Malaysia with a team of about 40 Filipino and international experts.
2007
Start of FSD’s involvement in mine action in Angola. FSD was tasked by the Angolan government to assess the demining capabilities country-wide with a team of international experts.
2006
FSD initiated a programme to develop the capabilities of the Mozambican Mine Action authorities. The same year, FSD’s support office in Manila was created to provide accounting, procurement and administrative functions for FSD world-wide.
2005
FSD deminers in Sri Lanka ceased demining operations for several months to focus on helping survivors of the Tsunami. The same year FSD created the Association franco-suisse de déminage in France and started the FSD Risk Fund.
2004
FSD was among the first NGOs in french-speaking Switzerland to acquire a ZEWO certification attesting FSD’s worthiness of receiving donations from the Swiss public. Mine action operations started in Burundi and in Laos.
2003
FSD deployed a mine action support operation dedicated to the support of the World Food Programme in Iraq. This operation ended with the bombing of WFP in Bagdad. FSD also started its mine action programme in Sudan and in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2002
Start of FSD’s large scale mine action operations in Sri Lanka, and first signature of an agreement with the Government of Tajikistan followed by the deployment of FSD demining teams.
2001
FSD signed standby agreement with the World Food Programme and deployed mine action expert teams to various locations in Afghanistan in support of WFP. Start of the FSD demining programme in Lebanon.
2000
FSD started deploying its first risk-education and assessment teams to Pakistan. Start of FSD’s first large demining programme to clear the Albanian border towards Kosovo with Swiss funding.
1999
Deployment of mine risk education teams in support of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Kosovo.
1998
Start of the first mine action project in Bosnia-Herzegovina to clear part of the Olympic village of Dobrinja from landmines. Also started efforts to clear landmines near a school in Croatia.
1997
Michel Diot made an initial appeal on Swiss radio to train Kosovar refugees as deminers before sending them back to their country suffering from the massive presence of landmines. This led to the creation of the “Fédération Suisse de déminage” with Michel Diot, Henri Leu and Hansjörg as co-founders.
News from the field
FSD, it’s them.
Every day, they put their courage and expertise to work to make the world a safer place. Read the testimonials and stories from our employees around the world.
Machine gun ammunition at the waste dump
In eastern Ukraine, the poverty caused by the armed conflict has led many people to collect and sell scrap metal to earn a little more money. This is a risky activity, which exposes them to landmines and unexploded ordnance. One day someone brought me an old bucket...
Deminer’s anecdotes
Some time ago, FSD was invited to visit a sixth-grade class at the Florimont Institute in Geneva to talk to students about humanitarian demining. After the presentation, the children asked questions which were recorded and passed on to our deminers in the field. This...
Pastor and risk education volunteer
" I take advantage of my sermons to talk about unexploded ordnance " Joselito Remedios, 54, is a pastor and an explosive ordnance risk education provider. For the past year, he has been a member of the Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD)’s volunteer team in the...
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