Explosive remnants of war

Explosive remnants of war (ERW) is a term used in the humanitarian aid and sustainable development domains to describe the explosive threats remaining in post-conflict society. This includes landmines, cluster bombs, IEDs and other unexploded ordnance.

Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, adopted on 28 November 2003, sets out obligations and best practice for the clearance of explosive remnants of war. Other international treaties, such as the Ottawa Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, also use the term.