ASEAN REGIONAL MINE ACTION CENTER
The Executive Director, Mr. Ly Panharith, is currently attending the 3rd day of the International Mine Action Roundtable: Challenges and Best Practices, organised by the Islamic Republic of Iran Mine Action Center and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The roundtable is aimed at bringing together mine action stakeholders and experts from different countries and contexts in order to exchange ideas and foster information sharing.
ARMAC had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the 22nd International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDMUN22) last week at the Palais des Nations, UN Geneva. The presentations are now available for download from the NDMUN22 Website.
ARMAC convened a meeting to discuss the needs for capacity development in mine action with delegations from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Thailand.
Today, the ARMAC Permanent Secretariat led by Mr. Ly Panharith, Executive Director, met with the Chair and Vice Chairs of the ARMAC Steering Committee to discuss the Center’s priorities for the new year.
H.E. Mr. Panyarak Poolthup, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of Cambodia and new Chair of the Steering Committee of ARMAC for 2019, led the meeting and was joined by the Vice Chairs representing Cambodia and Viet Nam.
The meeting outlined ARMAC’s future plans and goals, and how the Center aims to continue in its mission to support mine action in the ASEAN Region.
Today, ARMAC had the pleasure to host a meeting with a delegation from Norway led by H.E. Mr. Hans Brattskar, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations and the 2019 President of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. H.E. Mr. Brattskar was accompanied by H.E. Ms. Kjersti Rødsmoen, Ambassador of Norway to Thailand and Ambassador-designate to Cambodia, as well as Mr. Aksel Steen-Nilsen, Country Director of Thailand and Cambodia Norwegian People’s Aid – Humanitarian Disarmament.
The meeting discussed Norway’s extensive contributions to the mine action sector and highlighted its continuing commitment to the ASEAN region. Also discussed was how ARMAC could pave the way for closer cooperation between ASEAN Member States, international organisations and local stakeholders.
ARMAC greatly appreciates the efforts of H.E. Mr. Hans Brattskar in focusing global attention on mine action and wishes him a successful presidency.
(ARMAC 14 December 2018)
The 17th Meeting of the States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is currently underway in Geneva. The meeting gathered more than 600 delegates to take stock of the status of the Convention and its current level of implementation.
ARMAC, represented by its Executive Director, Mr. Ly Panharith, is attending the meeting and spoke during the side event “Towards a Mine-Free Cambodia, 2025.”, which explored the country’s mine action progress and how stakeholders such as ARMAC can assist Cambodia in reaching its 2025 goal.
The Executive Director of ARMAC also had the pleasure to liaise a meeting between delegates from Thailand and Myanmar of the ASEAN family on the margins of the Meeting.
Today is the last day of ARMAC’s Regional Workshop, funded by the Mission of Canada to ASEAN. Over the last three days the Workshop has covered the full scope and breadth of mine action and brought together ASEAN and international stakeholders to share their insights and knowledge.
The Workshop’s final day’s sessions covered the areas of research and development as well as how international cooperation can be a key factor in ensuring the sustainability of mine action programmes. Also covered was how Cambodia’s support to ARMAC as host country has assisted the Center in operationalizing and continuing its future mission.
The Workshop was closed by H.E Mr. Meas Kim Heng, who noted the importance of an ASEAN focused mine action center in building connections and communications between member states to share knowledge and resources.
For more information on the workshop, including photos and presentation slides visit the 2018 Regional Workshop Website.
Day two of ARMAC’s Regional Workshop was held today in Siem Reap and began with a field trip to the Cambodian Mine Action Center Deming Unit 4. Participants were welcomed by H.E. Mr. Prum Suonpraseth, Senior Director of CMAC, who briefed the attendees on the history and progress of mine action in Cambodia.
Workshop participants also had the opportunity to tour the Peace Museum and see first hand mine detection animals including dogs and APOPO’s HeroRATs. Manual deminers also showcased their skills and helped to illustrate the realities of mine action on the ground.
In addition to the field trip the second day of the Regional Workshop also featured more panel sessions including discussions on land release methodologies as well as a talk highlighting the importance of integrating gender perspectives into all aspects of mine action.
For more information on the workshop, including photos and presentation slides visit the 2018 Regional Workshop Website.
(ARMAC 13 November 2018)
Today is the opening day of ARMAC’s inaugural Regional Workshop, funded by the Mission of Canada to ASEAN. The Workshop’s aim is to “enhance mine action knowledge and promote future platforms of mine action knowledge sharing for ASEAN Member States”.
The workshop was opened by Lt. Col Jean Gosselin, Defence Attaché, Embassy of Canada to the Kingdom of Thailand. Opening remarks were given by H.E Mr. Michael Tan, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the Kingdom of Cambodia and Chair of the ARMAC Steering Committee.
This first day features a number of sessions and discussions including presentations on the linkages between mine action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as panel discussions on enhancing victim assistance and sharing best practices in mine risk education.
For more information on the workshop, including photos and presentation slides visit the 2018 Regional Workshop Website.
Today, ARMAC had the opportunity to host a meeting, in collaboration with SingHealth, on the “Assessment on the Needs and Resources for Mine/Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) Victim Assistance in Cambodia”. The meeting drew together a range of stakeholders and experts working across the health, disability and mine action sectors, with the aim to showcase and discuss the current status of psychosocial and physical rehabilitation services offered to mine/ERW victims and other persons with disabilities in Cambodia.
The Executive Director of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) paid a courtesy meeting to Ambassador Jane Duke, Australian Mission to ASEAN, in Jakarta, on 7 August 2018. Executive Director Panharith took this opportunity to extend his gratitude for the Australian Government’s support, particularly in terms of providing Australian Volunteers to assist ARMAC in its daily operations. Both the Executive Director and the Ambassador looked forward to any potential collaborative opportunities between ARMAC and Australia in the near future.
