The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) joined the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) as it commemorates its 30-year anniversary in demining efforts in the country. The 2-day event which is held from 21 November to 22 November at Koh Pich Convention and Exhibition Centre featured displays on demining progress and achievements to date, as well as materials, machinery and equipment, demonstrations of manual demining as well as the use of mine detection systems, and detection of mines and explosives by animals such as dogs and rats. Senior Minister and CMAA First Vice President Ly Thuch delivered the opening remarks where he reiterated the significant contribution of development partners, national and international operators and all stakeholders over the past 30 years to the government’s mission to clear the Kingdom of landmines and address the impacts of Cambodia’s wars of decades past. Daniel Craig, UN’s global advocate for the elimination of landmines and unexploded ordnance also issued a statement noting that more than one million Cambodians still live in areas where they are at risk due to landmines.

His Excellency and Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to deliver the closing remarks later today.

International Forum on Mine Action under the theme: Challenges and Opportunity

ARMAC Executive Director  attended International Forum on Mine Action under the theme: Challenges and Opportunity held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 15-17 November 2022. The Forum helped to build linkage between ARMAC and mine action communities in the central Asia region, and forged potential cooperation between ARMAC and Azerbaijan National Mine Action Authority (ANAMA).

On 13 November 2022, ARMAC Executive Director, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth attended the Round Table Discussion on Women, Peace and Security hosted by the Embassy of Canada with the honorable presence of His Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada.
The event gathered key stakeholders in the humanitarian mine action in Cambodia and the region as represented by ARMAC, all of whom actively involved in promoting more leadership roles for women in the sector.

Environmental Impact Management in Mine Action Workshop

Today ARMAC, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), hosted Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Organisations from around the ASEAN region in the Environmental Impact Management in Mine Action Workshop – the first of its kind in the region. The workshop is being held in Siem Reap over two days, and brings together international experts and practitioners to share best practices to ensure HMA actors take all reasonable steps to reduce the environmental impact of their activities. In opening the workshop, H.E. Ung Rachana, Chairman of the Steering Committee of ARMAC, underscored the importance of environmental management consideration, and one which would “require collective efforts to promote policy dialogue, research, capacity building, and scaling up and replicating of good practices across the ASEAN region”.

Phnom Penh, 3 August 2022: The ARMAC Permanent Secretariat was pleased to welcome a visit from a delegation from the Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, led by H.E. Kurt Kunz, Ambassador of Switzerland to Indonesia, Timor-Leste and ASEAN. During the meeting, the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth, provided an overview of ARMAC’s history and mandates, and described the outcomes from ARMAC’s recent strategy stakeholder workshops held in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Mr. Prum Suonpraseth discussed mutual areas of interest between ARMAC and the Government of Switzerland, and the possibility of ARMAC collaborating with Switzerland in support of the recently published ASEAN-Switzerland Plan of Action.

Hanoi, Viet Nam

On the 5th of July, ARMAC held its strategy stakeholder meeting in Hanoi, Viet Nam. The meeting drew representatives from over 8 government and non-government organizations to provide inputs into the preparation of ARMAC’s first five-year strategic plan.

The meeting is the third of a series of workshops that will encompass stakeholders across mine-affected AMSs. A special session meeting is taking place on 11 July where the outcome from the country consultations will be one of the key points to be discussed.

The goal of ARMAC is to reduce the impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war throughout the region through enhanced awareness in communities, victim assistance, and the sharing of knowledge amongst AMSs.

Bangkok, 1 July 2022

ARMAC Executive Director Mr. Prum Suonpraseth paid a courtesy call on H.E. Ms. Helene Budliger Artieda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR (Residence in Bangkok) while he was on-route from attending the Intersessional Meeting of the APMBC and UN NDM 25th held in Geneva, Switzerland from 20-24 June 2022.

The official trip is meant to cement and further advance cooperation between the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center and the Swiss Federal Government as well as other international organizations and partners based in Geneva.

ARMAC ED updated the Ambassador on the progress and achievements made by ARMAC and the Strategy Plan that ARMAC is currently formulating by embarking on a wide range of consultations with AMSs and relevant partners/stakeholders in the region.

ARMAC ED thanked the Ambassador for the financial contribution made by the Swiss Government to support the operations of ARMAC Permanent Secretariat in 2022 and also exchanged views on the soon-to-be adopted ASEAN-Switzerland Plan of Action where ARMAC could play a crucial and contributing role in helping to advance ASEAN-Switzerland cooperation in area of humanitarian mine action.

Bangkok, Thailand

On the 30th of June, ARMAC held its second strategy stakeholder meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop drew representatives from over 10 government and non-government organizations to provide inputs into the preparation of ARMAC’s first five-year strategic plan.