High-level dialogue on mine action: expand and elevate partnership toward a mine-free Cambodia by 2025

Statement by Mrs. Alissar Chaker, UNDP Resident Representative

May 20, 2022

Your Excellency Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice-President of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA),
Your Excellency Pablo Kang, Australian Ambassador to Cambodia,
His Royal Highness, Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein (مرعد بن رعد بن زيد), Special Envoy of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am honored to represent today the United Nations Development Programme in Cambodia and to participate in the reflection on new and innovative partnerships to bolster the Cambodian mine action sector and accelerate its results.

I would like to begin by commending Cambodia’s commitment to mine clearance and the ambition of the Kingdom’s leadership and its efforts to achieve the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goal #18 for a mine-free Cambodia by 2025.

I would also like to extend my respect to His Excellency Ly Thuch for his direction and strong leadership, and to His Excellency Pablo Kang for championing this cause among the international community.

Your active presence today at the High-Level Dialogue on Mine Action is a testament to your unfaltering commitment to achieving the Cambodia SDG18 and to availing the opportunity of a better and safer life to affected communities. To see an active engagement from the private sector is also encouraging. It signals the maturity of the mine action sector and suggests that it presents an investment opportunity area which would leverage win-win, new and innovative financing models and partnerships for accelerating the implementation of the National Mine Action Strategy and aligning the sector achievements with broader development goals and growth prospects.

Landmines and explosive remnants of war have caused widespread fear and suffering to individuals, families, and communities, significantly impacting the nation’s development prospects. Through diligent work throughout the years - particularly, thanks to the valuable contribution of the brave women and men deminers who are undertaking the critical, frontline work - many lives have been saved and some of the most vulnerable and poor people have been provided with the opportunity to improve their livelihoods through safe access to cleared land and its return to productive use. 

As 2025 gets closer, it is critical to collectively increase the sector’s capacity through human and financial resources to support the Royal Government in meeting its international obligations under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and its national commitments under the CSDG18.  

The United Nations Development Programme has been supporting humanitarian demining in Cambodia since it commenced 30 years ago in 1992. Since 2006, and thanks to the contributions of multiple development partners, the Clearing for Results project has been UNDP’s main vehicle of support to the Royal Government in mine action. Since the inception of Clearing for Results, over 288 square kilometers were cleared, putting back safe land to productive use. This amounts to 12 percent of the sector-wide achievement, which benefited over one million people in poor, rural communities, of which 50% are women. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea for the great support and partnership they invested in this endeavor.

In 2021, Clearing for Results scaled up support to Non-Technical Survey and has seen great results through this land release methodology over the past year. Non-Technical Survey is the first step in survey and clearance to ensure clearance assets are directed to the areas of greatest and actual need. I am pleased to note that the CMAA managed to further mobilize efforts under the Non-Technical Survey to reduce the size of contamination efficiently and effectively and to clean the national minefield database and accelerate the release of cleared land to communities. Also, the progress in engaging the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and Royal Cambodian Army in humanitarian demining is commendable. Cambodia’s armed forces have provided a vital, ongoing contribution to clearing landmines and other ERW both in Cambodia and abroad as part of UN Peacekeeping troops. UNDP strongly encourages this partnership and hopes that the dialogue on additional deminers from the Royal Cambodian Army succeeds in crucial mobilization soon.

We saw just this past week how targeted clearance efforts can have real and tangible outcomes with Cambodia declaring its second mine free province of Prey Veng on 12 May, following Kep’s declaration on 28 February. This is a remarkable achievement for Cambodia and lends itself to the success of the Mine Free Village Program. I look forward to hearing about continued achievements under this model, enabled through generous contributions by friends of Cambodia and hopefully soon by strategic partnerships with the private sector.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Mine action is not only a safety issue but also a significant factor for poverty reduction and development. Mine action is transformational across the humanitarian and development continuum, from saving lives and body integrity to literally clearing the path for development, for some of the poorest and most marginalized communities.

As such, UNDP remains deeply committed to mine action in Cambodia and in supporting the Royal Government to pursue its aspirational goal of a mine free Cambodia by 2025, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and the imperative of Leaving No One Behind. I hope this high-level dialogue has laid strong foundations for building the business case for funding and prioritizing the sector and for a shared rationale of the importance of linking it to the wider business environment and development plans of the Kingdom. Thank you.