Lao PDR

UNDP News

04 April 2007

"UXO an impediment to the social and economic development of Laos", said UN RC Sonam Yangchen Rana at the ceremony in Laos to mark the Second International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

Message from the UN Secretary General
Schedule of Event
Flyer
Vientiane Times article

On 8 December 2005, the UN General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be officially proclaimed and observed as International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states that this Day is a reminder that millions of people in nearly 80 countries still live in fear of landmines and explosive remnants of war. These devices continue to claim 15,000 new victims each year. They take an unacceptable toll on lives and limbs. They wreak havoc on people's livelihoods. They block access to land, roads, and basic services.

The Lao PDR has a legacy of being the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita and more than 30 years after the ceasefire, unexploded ordnance (UXO) continues to injure and kill people almost everyday. It prevents farmers from growing crops, children from playing safely, and the country from making economic and social progress. The average cost of treatment for any individual survivor can be as much as half the annual income of a rural family. Children with disabilities often have limited opportunities for education due to the lack of trained teachers, adapted materials, and accessibility - trapping them in a cycle of poverty.

The UXO/Mine Action community in the Lao PDR has committed themselves to holding an event to mark the 2 nd International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 5 th April 2007. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness among the public about the problems caused by the presence of UXO and how the UXO/Mine Action community in the Lao PDR is addressing these issues. Organised through the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for the UXO sector in Lao PDR, activities included a UXO awareness show and UXO clearance demonstrations displayed by 12 major actors including donors in the UXO/Mine Sector in the Lao PDR. A series of films on UXO were also shown in the evening at the National Cultural Hall.

Mr. Bounpone Sayasenh, the National Programme Director of UXO Lao says ‘the problem of UXO is well known in the rural areas but is often forgotten by the populations in the city. This first public event will raise awareness and increase support both from Lao people and foreigners living and visiting Laos to the activities of UXO Lao and the other operators'.

COPE is another organization that warmly welcomes and supports the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. Mr. Mike Boddington, the Advisor to COPE, says he looks forward to the time when UXO injuries will be a thing of the past for the Lao PDR. COPE is the organization in Laos to fit artificial limbs and limb support devices to people injured by UXO.

Australia is one of the donor countries that is participating the event. Mr. Warren Hoye, Programme Manager of AusAID says ‘ Australia was one of the original signatories of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction also known as the Ottawa Convention. Australia is committed to address the effects of anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) by supporting clearance operations of UXO and development of cleared land, community awareness activities and victim assistance'.

This year is an especially important occasion because it sees the development of a major new international movement to ban cluster munitions. A cluster munition consists of a canister designed to open in mid-air and disperse smaller submunitions, which are often referred to as bombies in this country. As far as cluster munitions are concerned, Laos is the most heavily contaminated country in the world.

The movement has been spearheaded by the Norwegian government and has now attracted wide international support and the UN is fully behind the movement. On the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterates his call on the international community to address immediately the horrendous humanitarian effects of cluster munitions and applaud and encourage all endeavours to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, the impact of cluster munitions on civilians.

UXO Lao is the largest single UXO clearance operator in the Lao PDR and is a Government Agency of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. It employs 1030 men and women and in 2006 cleared 2097 hectares of land and destroyed 575 big bombs, 44,911 cluster bombs (bombies), 251 mines and 40,842 other UXO.