Lao PDR

The presence and scale of UXO pose humanitarian challenges and are an impediment to poverty reduction and development in the Lao PDR. Bombies have caused death and injuries to average 300 people a year over the past decade. In addition, they prevent access to agricultural land and require substantial extra resources for UXO clearance before any kind of development, such as road building, tourism development and school construction, taking place in UXO-affected areas.

Since the inception of UXO Lao in 1996, Australia has been a consistent supporter of the UXO sector in Lao, providing funding for UXO clearance, victim assistance, risk education activities and capacity development of key partners. Reducing the threat of cluster munitions will now continue, with Australia generously supporting to the newly established UXO trust fund, set up by the Government of Lao PDR and UNDP. Through the Fund, Australia will support seven sub-projects of National Regulatory Authority (NRA) and UXO Lao with total funding amount of AUD 2,500,000 (equivalent to USD 2,313,100) for 18 months.

The signing ceremony between the Government of Australia and the United Nations Development Programme to Support the Quality Management of the UXO Sector in Laos 2009-2011 took place in Vientiane 29 April. The ceremony was honoured by the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Mired Raad Al-Hussein of Jordan, visiting the Lao PDR as Special Envoy of the President of the second Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention – usually referred to as Ottawa convention.

Australia’s support is designed for a wide range of programme activities that respond to the needs identified in the 2008 UXO sector evaluation, and also to assist the Government of Lao PDR in fulfilling its important role for the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The 2008 UXO sector evaluation shows that Lao PDR can clear all contaminated agricultural land in 16 years at present capacity. However, by scaling up resources we can achieve this even quicker, perhaps in 10 years.

“UXO clearance in the Lao PDR is a precondition for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and graduation of the country from the Least Developed Country status by 2020,” says Dirk Wagener, Deputy Resident Representative a.i. in his opening remarks. Year 2010 provides a great chance for the Government of Lao PDR to strengthen advocay efforts and reach wide support to the UXO sector bause the Government will host the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention and assume the Presidency afterwards. Therefore, the development partners are expected to show continued support. “The Government of Australia shows its strong commitment and leadership in this regard by providing support including to the First State Party Meeting through the newly established Trust Fund,” Mr. Wagener concluded.

Lao PDR is the most cluster munition and UXO affected country in the world with up to 25% of the country’s 10,000 villages affected by the presence of these explosive remnants of war. During the period between 1964 to1974, it is estimated that in excess of 260 million sub-munitions were dropped over the country. With an average failure rate of 30%, it is estimated that as many as 87 million of them failed to explode and remain scattered throughout the country.

Remarks by Dirk Wagener, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative (Programmes) a.i. (.pdf)

Notes for editors:

For more information please contact

Inka Leisma at the UNDP Public Information Unit
Tel: (021) 267 777 ext: 751, Email: inka.leisma@undp.org

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