Blog

19 Nov
Meeting with H.E. Mr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and the First Vice President of the CMAA

On 19 November 2020, ARMAC had the great opportunity to pay a courtesy visit to HE Mr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and the First Vice President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority.

Both parties enjoyed past cooperation and wish to pursue further collaboration and partnership to achieve the common goal of ending threats from landmines and explosive remnants of war in Cambodia and the region.

ARMAC is very grateful to the governments of the ASEAN Members for supporting the Center in order to collectively tackle the humanitarian aspects of landmines and ERW through an integrated approach of experiences sharing, skills training and other capacity building activities.

06 Nov
Training on the Best Practices of Financial Reporting and Taxation for Mine Action Organizations

Phnom Penh, 06 November 2020 – The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) was supported by the Grant Thornton Cambodia to provide training to finance/accounting personnel of mine action organizations in Cambodia.

The Grant Thornton Cambodia through the Philippine Embassy in Cambodia supported ARMAC to conduct training on the “Best Practices of Financial Reporting and Taxation for Mine Action Organisations”, on 6 November 2020.

The participants in the training are finance/accounting personnel from the various mine action organizations, including governmental, national and international institutions based in the Kingdom of Cambodia, including:

– Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA),

– Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC),

– National Centre for Peacekeeping Forces (NPMEC),

– Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA),

– Mines Advisory Group (MAG),

– Cambodia Self Help Demining (CSHD),

– Halo Trust,

– Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS),

– APOPO

The training discussed the importance of internal control system, common issues on organizations’ internal control, sharing of best practices on preparation of financial reports, as well as on recently updated applicable laws and regulations (Cambodia specific jurisdiction).

20 Oct
NCT Virtual Asia 2020

NCT Virtual Asia 2020

Phnom Penh, 20 October 2020 – ARMAC has a pleasure to partner with Non-Conventional Threat (NCT) Virtual Asia 2020 particularly in providing a speaker to the event.

NCT Virtual Asia 2020 will be organised on 12-13 November 2020, via online platform. The registration is available from 1 October 2020 at https://nct-events.com/event/nct-virtual-asia-2/.

The event will be participated by various key stakeholders in Asia including but not limited from Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and explosive (CBRNe), Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) and Explosive Ordnance Department (EOD). This will be a great opportunity to exchange knowledge, build partnerships and promote innovation.

NCT Virtual Asia 2020 will feature presentations from high level speakers and industry exhibition, which will allow the participants to also earn about new technologies in a realistic and interactive environment. Meanwhile, the networking can be done through private chats, group discussions, video chats.

For detailed information, visit https://nct-events.com/event/nct-virtual-asia-2/.

15 Oct
ARMAC bid farewell to its Executive Director Ly Panharith and welcome Executive Director-designate Prum Suonpraseth
On 14 October 2020, at ASEAN HOMs’ Lunch hosted by Ambassador Michael Tan of Singapore, ARMAC bid farewell to its Executive Director Ly Panharith and welcome Executive Director-designate Prum Suonpraseth.
The event was joined by representatives from the host country-Cambodia, ASEAN Diplomatic Corps, and Partners of ARMAC – UNDP, Japan and Republic of Korea.
Ambassador Vu Quang Minh of Vietnam and current Chair of ARMAC Steering Committee thanked the outgoing ED for his contribution to ARMAC, and welcomed and wished the incoming ED a successful term with ARMAC.
10 Sep
Rapid Assessment on Health and Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 to Mines/ERW Victims in Cambodia

Rapid Assessment on Health and Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 to Mines/ERW Victims in Cambodia

Phnom Penh, 10 September 2020 – Today is more or less six months since the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised Corona Virus Disease (COVID)-19 as a global pandemic. Meanwhile, countries in ASEAN and all over the world including Cambodia have been facing imminent impacts in various aspects of life, particularly health and socio-economic aspects, as ramification of COVID-19. These impacts are more severe, if not similar, to victims of mines/explosive remnants of war(ERW) in Cambodia.

Hence, in order to learn the extent of health and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 to victims of mines/ERW in Cambodia, mainly in Kampong Chhnang and Pursat Provinces, the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) and Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) joined efforts to conduct rapid assessment to identify health and socio-economic impacts of COVID to the victims of mines/ERW in the mid of August 2020.

In the assessment, with facilitation from Physical Rehabilitation Center (Kampong Chhnang Province) and Disability Development Service Program (Pursat Province), twenty-six (26) victims of mines/ERW from both provinces participated in the interview. Thus, ARMAC extends its gratitude for support from DDSP Pursat and PRC Kampong Chhnang. Special thanks also goes to CMAA for making the field visit and assessment happened.

The report is available at the weblink below:

https://bit.ly/2F5MklR

Further to this, ARMAC and CMAA aim to use the report to take into account challenges and/or new threats faced by victims of mines/ERW amidst the pandemic, so that projects/programmes can then better accommodate the needs required by these victims.

Disclaimer: The number of correspondents may not be as representative as it should be. However, it could give a general point of view on both impacts (in health and socio-economic aspects) and needs required by victims of mine/ERW.

(ARMAC and CMAA, 10 September 2020)

19 May
Explosive Ordnance Risk Education in ASEAN in a Time of Pandemic

The new Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged and compounded the huge challenges of Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) all over the world including the ASEAN Region. In this regard, the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) responded by hosting its first Regional Webinar “Explosive Ordnance Risk Education in ASEAN in a Time of Pandemic” today (19 May 2020).

The Regional Webinar gathered more than fifty representatives from explosive ordnance affected ASEAN Member States (AMS), mine action related organisations, academics and individuals from all over the world. Overall, it aimed to identify all potential available means and capabilities to ensure the continuity of EORE operations within affected AMS. Despite the complex challenges, EORE should continue to be provided to the affected communities using alternative safer approaches, where possible, which reduce the risk of spreading the pandemic.

The Webinar was welcomed and introduced by Mr. Ly Panharith, Executive Director of ARMAC. He expressed his appreciation to the participants for their interest to join the webinar, and highlighted the importance of various EORE adaptations that should be considered and the possible new normal in EORE and overall mine action sectors in the aftermath of the pandemic. He also underscored the necessity of exchange of information, experience and good practices since the pandemic brought about an unprecedented challenge to EORE.

At the Webinar, moderated by Mr. Hal Judge, ARMAC EORE Expert, organisations and institutions in the ASEAN Region shared how COVID-19 has affected their mine actions, particularly EORE activities, and their EORE adaptations in response of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Co-Chairs of international EORE Advisory Group, Mr. Sebastian Kasack (Senior Technical Advisor of Mines Advisory Group) and Mr. Hugues Laurenge (Child Protection Specialist of UNICEF), gave presentations on how EORE and COVID-19 delivery methods are being coordinated and integrated in inventive ways.

From a related perspective, Dr. Joanne Durham, Senior Lecturer of Queensland University of Technology, presented an overview of the relation of public health and mine action, as well as the impact of health crisis to mine action including EORE.

In the webinar, national mine (and unexploded ordnance – UXO) action authorities/centres, international organisations and non-governmental organisations shared their experience and strategy in adapting their operations to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. This sharing may help streamline mine action operations in ASEAN region

07 Feb
2020 Regional Consultative Meeting – Cambodia
“Good Practices and Integrated Approaches to Mine/ERW Risk Education for Affected Communities in ASEAN Member States”

6 February 2020, Siem Reap, Cambodia – Clearance of deadly landmines and other remnants of wars is extremely important for people who live in contaminated regions of the ASEAN Member States (AMS). The harsh reality is that it will take considerable time and work to de-fuse all the residual explosive devices. Meanwhile, alongside the painstaking clearance process, it is vital to protect and educate people, especially curious children, of the dangers of going into hazardous areas or triggering deadly old weapons.

To tackle these important issues, the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) took the initiative to convene a major consultative meeting on 6 February 2020 on the issue of “Good Practices and Integrated Approaches to Mine/Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) Risk Education for Affected Communities in AMS.”

The Regional Consultative Meeting was the culmination of a ground-breaking one-year research and consultation project by ARMAC, with the generous financial support of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), to analyse and document the AMS’ diversity of mine/ERW risk education (MRE) approaches in educating their populations on the dangers of landmines and ERW, as well as the efforts made to avoid these risks.

Gathering representatives from the ASEAN countries, the Regional Consultative Meeting was an ideal opportunity to formally present ARMAC’s Study highlighting the good practices, innovations and successes the AMS have achieved in integrating MRE into all mine action efforts as well as wider sectors such as development, education, sports, legislation, technology, media and others.

The mine/ERW affected AMS—namely Cambodia, the Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam—have been centrally involved in the development of ARMAC’s Study entitled “Integrated Approaches to Mine/ERW Risk Education”. The meeting was also an opportunity to gather perspectives from all AMS and expert mine action organisations (including UNICEF, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, Mines Advisory Group, the HALO Trust, Swiss Foundation for Mine Action, Humanity and Inclusion, and Norwegian Peoples Aid). Looking forward, the meeting laid solid plans to further build cooperation within ASEAN and with international agencies to progress and enhance the MRE agenda.

During the opening, H.E. Mr. Vu Quang Minh, the Chair of ARMAC’s Steering Committee and Ambassador of Viet Nam to Cambodia, expressed his thanks to the Government of Japan for their continuing support of the project, and to the representatives from the AMS who provided their expertise and time. He further noted that at the recent ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat held in early January 2020 in Nha Trang, Viet Nam, the Foreign Ministers expressed support for ARMAC with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr. Prak Sokhonn highlighting that he “is very encouraged by the positive progress in terms of institutional strengthening of ARMAC.” Concluding the opening H.E. Mr. Vu Quang Minh, urged the participants to continue their good efforts in working to enhance the ASEAN capacity to effectively address the problems of landmines and ERW” and looked forward to a future of peace and prosperity.

Representing the Government of Japan and the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund, Mr. Mitori Naoki, Councilor, Consular Office of Japan in Siem Reap, noted Japan’s strong commitment to ASEAN mine action and highlighted that Japan has consistently partnered with the AMS in the mine/ERW sector through financial contributions, provision of equipment and the dispatching of experts. He further offered is commendations to “all ASEAN Member States’ efforts to promote peace building and to enhance cooperation to share best practices in the region.”

Speaking at the meeting, ARMAC Executive Director, Mr. Ly Panharith, commented that “through the publication of the Study, ARMAC hopes to encourage further efforts in connecting MRE to relevant sectors, including integrating MRE into school curriculums, mobilising volunteer networks, harnessing new technology such as smart phone aps, and other creative approaches to behaviour change.”

Consistent with the agenda of the Regional Meeting, the new ARMAC Magazine featuring stories of integrated mine/ERW risk education from across ASEAN and international developments, was launched. The magazine is now available for download from ARMAC’s website and can be found here https://aseanmineaction.org//resources/magazine.

Concluding the Regional Consultative Meeting, H.E. Mr. Prum Sophakmongkol, Secretary-General of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, added that this meeting will greatly assist ARMAC’s efforts to develop an integrated approach to MRE, including implementing recommendations from the ARMAC MRE Study where relevant and feasible.

06 Dec
Regional Training on Risk Management in Mine Action
For the second time this year the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) in collaboration with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining – GICHD, organised a Regional Training for #ASEAN mine action stakeholders.
Funded by the Government of Ireland and International Committee of the Red Cross, and in partnership with the Thailand Mine Action Centre, the training brought together participants from the five mine and explosive remnants of war affected ASEAN Member States to explore and learn about the different aspects of practical risk management in relation to mine action.
Speaking at the opening ceremony H.E. General Paripat Phalasin, Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff from the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, remarked that the training will help to strengthen capacity in the region and build closer ties within the mine action ASEAN community.
Over the next five days, participants will be engaged in participatory exercises and lectures as they improve their current risk management approaches by not only increasing their awareness of the risks involved in field operations, but also by learning how to actively manage those risks through simple yet effective tools.
Looking towards the future ARMAC hopes to organise other trainings on a diversity of topics and will continue to strive towards supporting an effective and efficient mine action sector.
29 Nov
The Fourth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) recently hosted a side event on “Integrated Approaches to Mine Risk Education (MRE) for Affected Communities in ASEAN Member States” during the Fourth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, held on 25-29 November 2019 in Oslo, Norway. The conference was attended by more than 600 mine action stakeholders from across the globe, and ARMAC took the opportunity to host a side event as part of a one-year project supported by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) to develop comprehensive and integrated approaches to MRE.

During the Review Conference, Ms. Asako Omi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, extended commitment of Government of Japan to support mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) affected communities and announced that, “the Government of Japan has allocate[ed] more than USD 800 million since 1998 to support mine action, including mine clearance, MRE, victim assistance and socio-economic integration activities. MRE remains one of our priorities of support, and the Government of Japan calls for an acceleration of efforts including through enhancing innovation and effectiveness.”

ARMAC’s side event gathered more than fifty MRE stakeholders from a diversity of countries and expert agencies to participate in a briefing of the preliminary results from ARMAC’s study on Integrated Approaches to MRE in ASEAN Member States through research and national consultative meetings in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Representing ARMAC, Mr. Hal Judge, ARMAC MRE expert, presented the preliminary results of ARMAC’s research and consultation, including: the scope and complexity of MRE/ERW impacts, the results from consultations with over 150 stakeholders in the five countries, risk analysis, and the many advantages of integrating MRE through reinforcing activities and programs in the ASEAN region.

Other panelists reiterated the importance of sharing MRE best practices with, Mr. Mohammad Shafiq Yosufi, Director of the Directorate of Mine Action Coordination, Afghanistan National Disaster Management Agency, emphasizing the need for both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of MRE and the exchange of research results. Further, both Mr. Yosufi and Ms. Martha Isabel Hurtado Granada, Coordinator, Grupo de Acción Integral contra Minas Antipersonal, Colombia, also conveyed that MRE should be targeted to the most vulnerable communities, and may be adapted to specific groups at-risk.

Presenting a global perspective Mr. Matthieu Laruelle, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education Advisor, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), commended ARMAC for its preliminary research, and highlighted the shift in terminology of ‘Mine Risk Education’ to ‘Explosive Ordnance Risk Education’ to better describe the scope of devices the mine action community is addressing. His colleague from GICHD, Mr. Rory Logan, in his capacity as Secretary of the IMAS Review Board, also updated the participants on the current review of the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS 12.10).

Concluding the side event, Mr. Ly Panharith, Executive Director of ARMAC and Chair of the side event, expressed his dismay concerning the new trend of increased causalities from explosive ordnance (particularly in the Middle East) since 2016, but noted that “risk education is gaining momentum globally and is likely to feature prominently in the Oslo Action Plan going forward. For ARMAC, risk education will remain a high priority in our work and we will build ARMAC’s regional and international knowledge base and connections.”

29 Nov
ARMAC had the great pleasure and honour of welcoming H.E. Diedrah Kelly, Ambassador of the Mission of Canada to ASEAN to our headquarters in Phnom Penh

Welcoming H.E. Diedrah Kelly, Ambassador of the Mission of Canada to ASEAN

Today ARMAC had the great pleasure and honour of welcoming H.E. Diedrah Kelly, Ambassador of the Mission of Canada to ASEAN to our headquarters in Phnom Pehn.
The visit provided us the opportunity to thank Canada, and the Ambassador, for their strong commitment to mine action, as well as their support in funding ARMAC’s Regional Workshop for the second consecutive year.
Canada has been an #ASEAN Dialogue Partner since 1977 and ARMAC is proud of the strong relationship we have forged through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives framework. We echo Canada’s dedication to peace and security, and we hope to continue our collaboration in mine action well into the future.
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