Lao PDR

Luxembourg Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs. Marie-Josée Jacobs and UNDP Resident Representative (a.i.), Kyoko Yokosuka. Photo UNDPLao/Toby Fricker

The Government of Luxembourg has committed 750,000 Euros to the UXO Trust Fund in support of UXO Lao operations. The funds will be distributed over a 5-year period (2011 – 2015). These will be vital resources to support the Government of Lao PDR in fulfilling its obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions that entered-into-force in August 2010.

The funds will help finance UXO Lao operations in 9 provinces to ensure that area clearance, technical surveys and risk education activities can be scaled up. In addition they will support the national training center to build further capacity among de-miners, medics and surveyors.

The presence of UXO in Lao PDR continues to destroy lives and limbs and is an impediment to the country's efforts of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Kyoko Yokosuka, UNDP Resident Representative (a.i.) said, “ The correlation between UXO presence and poverty is clear to see – 41 out of the 46 poorest districts are contaminated. With just five years left to achieve the MDGs it's vital that UXO clearance is further scaled up.” The Government of Lao PDR introduced a localized MDG 9 on UXO action at last year's Round Table Meeting to further focus work on the UXO sector.

Luxembourg has previously contributed to UXO operations in Lao PDR by providing nearly 3 million dollars of un-earmarkdd funding since 2006. It was one of the first nations to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions that entered-into-force in August 2010 and has banned investment in cluster munitions through its own national law.

The UXO Trust Fund, established in 2010, increases Government ownership, better coordination and effective prioritization of work in the UXO Sector. The Trust Fund helps to ensure that UXO actions are aligned with the government's national development priorities as outlined in the 7 th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP).