Norway, US fund UXO clearance in southern provinces : Lao Voices

Norway and the United States yesterday contributed US$20 million towards an unexploded ordnance (UXO) survey and clearance project in Saravan, Xekong and Attapeu provinces.

The National Regulatory Authority (NRA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) in Vientiane on February 23.

The project’s budget for the five-year period from 2012-2016 has been provided by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and US State Department, NRA Director Mr Phoukhieo Chanthasomboun said at the signing ceremony.

“This project is very important in order to address the various issues posed by UXO,” he said.

Mr Phoukhieo said the project will help Lao people of all ethnicities in the three provinces to lead lives free from the dangers posed by UXO in line with the government’s National Socio-economic Development Plan, enabling them to expand their agricultural production and lift themselves from poverty.

The NPA is an international, non-governmental organisation based in Oslo, Norway, which has worked in Laos for humanitarian mine action since 1997.

Over the years, the NPA has provided strong support to UXO/Mine Action Sector work in Laos, helping to introduce new technology into the country’s efforts.

Mr Phoukhieo expressed his gratitude to the NPA for conducting UXO survey and clearance work in Saravan, Xekong and Attapeu provinces from 2007-2010.

Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the NRA will continue to work with the NPA to coordinate with the government from the central to grassroots level to ensure UXO survey and clearance work runs smoothly.

The Lao government is highly appreciative of both the Norwegian and US governments and also thanks the NPA for responsibly implementing this project, he said.

The NPA considers its Lao project one of the most important in its portfolio of countries.

“We work in more than 20 countries, clearing landmines, cluster munitions and other devices, but in many ways Laos is the most important,” NPA Director Mr Atle Karlsen said, pointing to the estimated size of the problem and Laos’ brave and exemplary leadership regarding the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

In September 2010, the NPA developed an approach called Land Release Survey, aiming to solve the problem in Laos. In the year and a half since, it has refined and tested this approach, which has shown great results, Mr Karlsen said.

The approach involves a range of survey principles, both non-technical and technical, adapted to the Lao context, he said, adding that it will establish a very real estimation of the remaining problem when it comes to cluster munitions.

M r Karlsen said he is happy that the NRA is adapting the national standard for surveying and greatly hopes that this approach and similar ones will assist in making a real impact on the ground over the next five years.

“We will expand and almost double our operations this year for the benefit of the sector in general and Saravan, Xekong and Attapeu provinces in particular,” he said.

Source: Vientiane Times
By Khonesavanh Latsaphao
(Latest Update February 24, 2012)