LocationsMine Action Technical Working Group Meeting
October 22, 2025
On October 16, the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and UNDP co-led the 2025 Technical Working Group on Mine Action, signifying the importance of collective action and long-term partnerships toward a mine-free Cambodia by 2030.
The meeting was chaired by H.E. Mr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice President of CMAA; co-chaired by Mr. Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP Resident Representative in Cambodia; and graced by H.E. Mr. Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). It brought together key stakeholders, including development partners, line ministries, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector to discuss priorities and challenges for the sector.
H.E. Mr. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice President of CMAA, and H.E. Mr. Dith Tina, Minister of MAFF, at the meeting of the Technical Working Group on Mine Action.
Sector Priorities
- Achieve full clearance of mine-contaminated areas by 2030, fulfilling Cambodia’s obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention).
- Integrate mine action into broader development programming, particularly in the agriculture sector, where 85% of Cambodians are employed and 65% of released land is arable.
- Strengthen private-sector engagement in demining and livelihood initiatives, creating jobs for mine survivors and persons with disabilities.
Challenges Ahead
Key challenges that emerged from the discussion were:
- Maintaining peace and stability along the Thai border, one of the most heavily contaminated areas in the country.
- Maximizing the impact of every dollar spent, given the context of declining financial resources.
- Developing innovative financing mechanisms to sustain clearance operations and ensure long-term sector viability.
Mr. Enrico Gaveglia, UNDP Resident Representative in Cambodia, delivered remarks as the Development Partner Lead Facilitator at the meeting of the Technical Working Group on Mine Action.
UNDP’s Continued Support
Since 2006, UNDP has coalesced partners through its integrated Clearing for Results project, implemented in four rounds of replenishment. With support from the Government of Cambodia, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, the initiative over nearly two decades has:
- Cleared 418 km² of land, benefiting over 1.37 million people — representing 16% of national clearance achievements.
- Provided assistance to more than 50,000 mine and ERW survivors and persons with disabilities.
- Supported CMAA in strengthening coordination, regulation, and gender mainstreaming in mine action, resulting in the publication of the National Mine Action Strategy (2018–2025) and the National Mine Action Policy (2026–2035), and advancing gender equality through the adoption of the National Mine Action Standards on Gender Mainstreaming (2024).
Participants at the meeting of the Technical Working Group on Mine Action.
Moving Forward
UNDP will remain firm in its commitment to a wider and more effective integration of support to the sector, looking beyond:
UXO clearance and residual contamination management,
but also on:
- Economic recovery and livelihood development, ensuring cleared land is used productively.
- Sustainable victim assistance, strengthening rehabilitation services and national systems.
While remaining committed to:
- Institutional capacity development, enhancing CMAA’s coordination and quality assurance functions.
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