ASEAN REGIONAL MINE ACTION CENTER
08 April 2021 – ARMAC Executive Director and the Permanent Secretariat staff paid a courtesy call to H.E. Ms. Amelita Aquino, the Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Cambodia where they discussed ARMAC’s role as a center of excellence in the region, under the ASEAN Security Cooperation, in addressing landmines and explosive remnants of war for interested ASEAN Member States (AMS); and the Philippine’s ongoing engagement with ARMAC.
ARMAC ED in their discussion underscored how the Philippines contribution and support during ARMAC’s formative years was instrumental in forging interests among other AMS. The Philippine ambassador on her part recognized ARMAC’s efforts in bringing about lasting peace, security and development in the region, and agreed to help mobilize support among AMS and the international community at large.
10 March 2021 – the Chair of the Steering Committee of ARMAC, H.E. Mr. Pengiran Kasmirhan Pengiran Tahir, and the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth, paid a courtesy call on the Ambassador of Turkey to the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Ms. Ayda Ünlü.
The aim of the call was to introduce the new Chair and Executive Director of ARMAC to the Ambassador and to discuss future collaboration on the Humanitarian Mine Action between Turkey- and ASEAN. ARMAC would like to thank H.E. Ms. Ayda Ünlü for the warm welcome, her support to ARMAC’s Project under ASEAN-Turkey Fund on Building a Regional Community of Practice in Mine/ERW Action among ASEAN Member States and looks forward to enhance this partnership in years to come.
(ARMAC, 10 March 2021)
10 March 2021 – the Chair of the Steering Committee of ARMAC, H.E. Mr. Pengiran Kasmirhan Pengiran Tahir, and the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth, paid a courtesy call on the Ambassador of Turkey to the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Ms. Ayda Ünlü.
The aim of the call was to introduce the new Chair and Executive Director of ARMAC to the Ambassador and to discuss future collaboration on the Humanitarian Mine Action between Turkey- and ASEAN. ARMAC would like to thank H.E. Ms. Ayda Ünlü for the warm welcome, her support to ARMAC’s Project under ASEAN-Turkey Fund on Building a Regional Community of Practice in Mine/ERW Action among ASEAN Member States and looks forward to enhance this partnership in years to come.
(ARMAC, 10 March 2021)
On 15 February 2021, the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Anatoly Borovik, the Ambassador of Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Cambodia
ARMAC thanked the Ambassador Anatoly for reaffirming Russia’s continued cooperation with ARMAC, and its strong commitment to help end the threats from landmines and explosive remnants of war in Cambodia and the affected Member States of ASEAN.
On 16 February 2021, it was an honor for ARMAC Permanent Secretariat led by Executive Director Prum Suonpraseth to have the opportunity to pay a courtesy call to the His Excellency Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
During the meeting, ARMAC’s ED provided updates and progress achievements of ARMAC, including the current and future program activities of the Center to His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister.
(ARMAC, 16 February 2021)
On 16 February 2021, it was an honor for ARMAC Permanent Secretariat led by Executive Director Prum Suonpraseth to have the opportunity to pay a courtesy call to the His Excellency Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
During the meeting, ARMAC’s ED provided updates and progress achievements of ARMAC, including the current and future program activities of the Center to His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister.
(ARMAC, 16 February 2021)
On 15 February 2021, the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth paid a courtesy call on H.E. Mr. Anatoly Borovik, the Ambassador of Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Cambodia
ARMAC thanked the Ambassador Anatoly for reaffirming Russia’s continued cooperation with ARMAC, and its strong commitment to help end the threats from landmines and explosive remnants of war in Cambodia and the affected Member States of ASEAN.
On 27 January 2021, ARMAC was delighted to receive H.E. Mr. Patrick Murphy, the United States (US) Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, for a meeting with the Chair of the Steering Committee of ARMAC and Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr. Pengiran Kasmirhan Pengiran Tahir, and the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth.
ARMAC thanks Ambassador Murphy for his visit to ARMAC Permanent Secretariat, and welcome the US longstanding commitment to address landmines/explosive remnants of war (ERW) issues in Cambodia and the ASEAN region.
Moving forward, ARMAC looks forward to strengthen the joint efforts with the US Government in this matter.
Phnom Penh, 11 January 2021 – The Government of the Republic of Korea through ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF) provided the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) with an approximate amount of USD 2,061,429.68 to fund the “Enhance Victim Assistance Programmes in the ASEAN Member States” programme.
The aforesaid three-year programme aims to strengthen the assistance provided to victims through the achievement of five objectives. First objective of this project is to promote the establishment of a victim assistance network as a regional platform for various stakeholders within ASEAN. This network will provide a platform for victim assistance stakeholders in the region to communicate and coordinate among each other.
Taking into account the importance of expertise, knowledge and experience exchange among victim assistance stakeholders, this programme also aims to assist the AMS on victim assistance related knowledge sharing, needs and resources assessments and its mobilisation. It is hoped that through this exchange all the victim assistance stakeholders in ASEAN are able to improve their assistance provision to the victims of mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW).
This programme will also play an important role in assessing the needs of the victims of mines/ERW for the government and other victim assistance providers to consider the provision of adequate assistance to these victims. This will also help ARMAC in setting priorities for its victim assistance programme activities in the coming years.
Further, in collaboration with SingHealth, ARMAC and Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority will organise train-the-trainers in psychosocial support to victims of mines/ERW in Cambodia by targeting more than 150 trainees from various stakeholders including survivor networks, medical practitioners and relevant organisation/institution in Cambodia.
The Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth, explained that “the programme will be an essential attempt for ARMAC to not only establish a platform for ASEAN Member States and relevant stakeholders to exchange expertise, knowledge and experience, but to also collaborate in providing adequate assistance to ensure the welfare of the victims of mines/ERW.” Going further, Mr. Prum highlighted that “victim assistance is the essence of ARMAC’s programme and we intend to continue facilitating assistance for a better life of these victims and their family.”
This programme will also touch upon conducting two researches on “Mine Victim Assistance Inclusive Services in Cambodia,” and “Community Perspectives on Humanitarian Mine Action in Lao PDR and Vietnam.” In the implementation, the research will emphasize the community participation to ensure outreach and effectiveness of its results once finalised.
Commencing in January 2021, the programme will be implemented until the end of 2023, benefiting communities-in-need in the ASEAN Member States, particularly those affected by mines/ERW. ARMAC also aims to engage more partners in implementing this programme.
On 26 November 2020, ARMAC had the great opportunity to visit Resident Representative Nick Beresford of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Cambodia.
ARMAC took this opportunity to thank the UNDP for accepting the invitation to join Friends of ARMAC (FOA), and looks forward to the inaugural reception of FOA on 10 December 2020. ARMAC and UNDP wish to pursue further regional collaboration and partnership to achieve the common goal of ending threats from landmines and explosive remnants of war.
