AKP Phnom Penh, H.E. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First Vice President of Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA), has appealed to the development partners and donors to continue their support for Cambodia to realise its vision of mine-free country by 2025.
H.E. Senior Minister made the remarks while chairing on behalf of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and CMAA President a Technical Working Group on Mine Action (TWG-MA) meeting, held virtually on Aug. 25.
H.E. Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and CMAA First Vice President expressed his gratitude to the development partners and donors including inter alia, United States, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, People's Republic of China, Germany, Switzerland, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Canada, Norway, Hungary, France, India, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, UNDP and UNICEF for their support to mine action in Cambodia, and called for their ongoing commitment to realise the vision of mine-free Cambodia 2025 as stipulated in the NMAS 2018-2025.
The TWG-MA was attended by 144 participants from relevant national ministries/institutions, development and diplomatic partners, national and international mine action operators, and provincial mine action committees.
According to a press release of CMAA, the meeting shared the collective achievements obtained under the National Mine Action Strategy (NMAS) Three-Year Implementation Plan 2018-2020, during which Cambodia released 421 km2 of contaminated land (66% of the targeted 641 km2), found and destroyed 49,256 anti-personnel mines, 956 anti-tank mines, and 221,372 items of explosive remnants of war, benefiting over 2 million people.
For the same period, 2,840,612 people received explosive ordnance risk education (967,351 women and 365,566 girls). In line with the meeting agenda, participants discussed the mine action sector's needs and challenges, including the impact of Covid-19, and resource mobilisation requirements to support the implementation of the next NMAS Three-Year Implementation Plan 2021-2023.
Participants found the plan and its associated efforts invaluable to ensure the successful implementation of the NMAS 2018 2025 and relevant to addressing the ongoing threat of mines and explosive remnants of war accidents, which have already caused 32 casualties within the first 7 months of this year alone.
On behalf of Samdech Prime Minister, the Senior Minister underscored the vision, determination, and efforts of the Royal Government of Cambodia in earning peace, political stability and development for this nation and the necessity of demining in peacekeeping. The Senior Minister also highlighted many historical accomplishments of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, starting from the liberation of Cambodia and her people from the genocide regime in 1979 to demining for safety and development in Cambodia and active participation in the UN peacekeeping operations in many countries around the world.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press