24 November 2020 – The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC) and United States (U.S.) Department of State/ U.S. Embassy of Phnom Penh co-organised the Regional Webinar on Protecting ASEAN Communities through Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) Implementation Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Having attended by 52 participants, the Regional Webinar provided an open forum for authorities and all the stakeholders in sharing:

1. knowledge, expertise and experience including good practices and lessons learned in implementing EORE during the pandemic, while ensuring do no harm;
2. consequences and challenges in implementing EORE during the pandemic, as well as the solution towards those; and
3. whether integration of EORE and COVID-19 risk education has been in place

The Webinar featured presentations from National Mine Action Centre/Authority, mine action related ministry and civil society organization from Philippines which covered Adjustment made in Coordinating and/or Implementing EORE. Speakers from Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (HE. Mr. Ly Panharith, Deputy Secretary General), Thailand Mine Action Center (Flt. Lt. Chotiboon Anukulvanich, Interpreter and Coordinator of Special Affair), Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Myanmar (Mr. Win Naing Tun, Director General) and Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) in Mindanao (Mr. Craig Dreghorn, Senior Technical Advisor) briefed as follows:

1. good practices and lessons learned of EORE programme activities to protect children and overall affected communities during COVID-19 pandemic;
2. consequences and challenges faced and how these were addressed; and
3. integration of EORE and COVID-19 risk education efforts.

Additionally, civil society organization from Viet Nam shared the Use of Technology/Social Media in Upholding EORE to Respond to the Ramification of COVID-19. Ms. Ta Thi Hai Yen, Programme Manager, Catholic Relief Service Viet Nam, introduced the use of a mobile application in their EORE activities during the pandemic.

Concluding the Presentation session, Mr. Hugues Laurenge, Child Protection Specialist UNICEF, presented Global Efforts to Protect Children and Overall Affected Communities through EORE. He started with introducing the recently released International EORE Standards and Resource Library for EORE-COVID-19, and further explained how to apply a human rights law – particularly related to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) perspectives to EORE sector in Southeast Asia.

The Webinar was officially opened by the Executive Director of ARMAC, Mr. Prum Suonpraseth, he underscored the importance of EORE works upheld by mine action stakeholders in the region. Meanwhile, in the Welcome Remarks, HE. Mr. Patrick W. Murphy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Cambodia, highlighted

(ARMAC, 24 November 2020)