Lao PDRCrisis Prevention and UXO |
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UXO/MINE ACTIONDuring the Indochina conflict from 1964 to 1973, Lao PDR was subject to the heaviest bombing that the world had ever known. US bombing records indicate that more than 580,000 bombing missions were carried out, dropping more than 2 million tonnes of bombs. Many of the bombs dropped were cluster bombs, dispensing sub-ammunition bomblets (bombies), which acted, and still act as a type of anti-personnel weapon. It is estimated that 10-30% of these bombs and bomblets failed to explode on impact. Thirty years after the ceasefire, UXO continues to limit the physical safety, livelihoods and food security in Lao PDR. High levels of poverty in rural communities often correlate with high levels of UXO contamination. UXO/Mine Action is the absolute pre-condition for the socio-economic development of Lao PDR and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As part of its dedication to the UXO sector as a whole, UNDP is fully committed to continue and expand its support to the Government of Lao PDR and the NRA, and to support the Government of Lao PDR ’s efforts in maintaining the support of the donor community in this respect. UNDP supports the UXO sector in Lao PDR primarily through a Trust Fund established and managed by UNDP on behalf of the government. Over 18 donor countries and multilateral agencies contribute to the fund. UXO LAO PDRIn 1995 the government of Lao PDR, committed to tackle with this massive and complex problem, requested UNDP for assistance to develop a strategy for the creation of a national capacity to address the long-term humanitarian and development issues caused by UXO contamination. UNDP supported the establishment of the UXO Trust Fund in 1995 and of the Lao PDR National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO LAO), a national clearance operator in 1996. UXO Lao PDR is a nationally executed programme (NEX), which is designed to generate the ownership and the responsibility of the Lao PDR government for the programme supported by UNDP. As people in Lao PDR are most likely to continue to live with UXO for a long time, it is crucial to develop and support a national institution that will be in place for a long time, to clear land for development as well as for safety and to conduct Community Awareness activities in the affected communities in Lao PDR.NRAThe Government of Lao PDR officially created the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for the UXO sector in Lao PDR by the Prime Minister’s Decree on 17 March 2004. The NRA is a public civilian institution of the Government of Lao PDR with representatives of all line ministries concerned and/or affected by UXO. The NRA is responsible for the coordination, regulation and overseeing of all UXO/Mine Action activities in Lao PDR. The Government of Lao PDR also developed and adopted a National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector, “The Safe Path Forward”, for the period 2003-2013. With the appointment of the Director, the NRA is expected to assume its full operations in the year 2006. |
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