Clearing for Results - Annual Report 2013

Clearing for Results - Annual Report 2013

February 5, 2014

2013 is the halfway point for the Clearing for Results II (CFR II) project with continued activities in mine clearance and capacity development, as well as significant initiatives such as the project Mid-Term Review (MTR). The MTR was key in ensuring that the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), as the lead national implementer of CFR II, maintained its ownership while aligning resources with priority areas and further strengthening its capacity to promote a programme-based approach in the mine action sector.

Based on recommendations from the Mid-Term Review, funds were reallocated to Deliverable 3, i.e., clearance contracts, decreasing the budget items in Deliverables 1 and 2. Through competitive bidding, three contracts were issued with a total amount of US$ 3.7 million for mine clearance in Battambang and Banteay Meanchey, awarded to the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), and in Pailin through a contract awarded to the National Center for Peacekeeping Forces, Mines and ERW Clearance (NPMEC). All deliverables were on track during the year (February to December 2013, with remaining contractual activities ending in January 2014). Some 17,331,094 m2 of land in the three provinces were cleared/released, with a 67% reduction in the number of reported mine casualties in the three target provinces.

In Q3, the project gained a new development partner through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) which contributed US$ 3 million to CFR II for 2013-2015. This allowed the Project Management Team to increase the volume of clearance contracts by almost 20% covering activities from September to January 2014 with some funds allocated for Deliverables 1 and 2. Australian Aid also signed an agreement with UNDP for an additional AUD 4 million in Q4.