Stockpile destruction, a core component of mine action, relates to any explosive ordnance contained in stockpiles (including land mines).  In the context of anti-personel land mines, States party to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention are required to destroy their stockpiles of anti-personnel mines within four years of becoming a party to the agreement, additionally those States in a position to do so must assist others to fulfill this obligation.

The IMAS provide that, in the context of mine action, the term ‘stockpile’ refers to any large accumulated stock of explosive ordnance. Stockpile destruction is defined as “the physical destructive procedure towards a continual reduction of the national stockpile”. A State or other entity holding stocks of weapons may wish to destroy explosive ordnance as part of a disarmament process, to implement a legal obligation, upon expiry of shelf life, or for reasons of safety. As the IMAS notes, the transparency of the destruction program is an important security and confidence-building measure. International organizations, national ambassadors, media and NGOs should be invited to witness the destruction process. They should also be given access to the ammunition account for anti-personnel mines in order that they can verify those destroyed against the declared stockpile levels.

A wide variety of techniques exist for the destruction of explosive ordnance stockpiles. There were traditionally five options for the logistic disposal of ammunition and explosives; however, in the case of anti-personnel mines four of these options are banned by international treaty. The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention does not permit the sale, gift or increased use in training of antipersonnel mines, and the Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft (the Oslo Convention) has outlawed deep sea dumping. Therefore, the international community is currently left with destruction as the only available option for the disposal of anti-personnel mines. Physical destruction techniques range from the relatively simple open burning and open detonation (OBOD) techniques, contained detonation, and crushing, to highly sophisticated industrial processes.