There is increasing interest in the detection of explosives and illicit materials. This publication examines nuclear techniques in the field of humanitarian demining and illicit material detection. It presents the latest experimental results on neutron based equipment, details issues for improvement, and identifies challenges and activities for future developments. The recommendations and guidelines, which are provided by developers of demining techniques and experts in illicit material detection, serve as a useful basis to determine the direction of future research activities in this field.