Community Safety, Livelihoods and Socio-Economic Development: Karamoja, Uganda

Development survey in collaboration with DRC/DDG in the Karamoja region of north-eastern Uganda in December 2014. This survey: identifies which activities appear to have the most positive impact on safety, livelihoods and socio-economic well-being, and why identifies any negative impacts on any intended beneficiaries and the reasons for them provides recommendations to help DDG improve their activities and impact. The survey was an excellent opportunity to explore how the GICHD’s landmines and livelihoods surveys can be used for the broader human security sector. The findings and recommendations provide DDG with a better understanding of how linkages between security and livelihoods can be reinforced, thereby contributing to strengthened socio-economic development. By recognising the gender and diversity aspects of security and livelihoods issues, the GICHD ensured these considerations were mainstreamed throughout the survey’s planning, design, implementation phases

Strategic Mine Action Plan for Yemen

The Government of Yemen is developing a national mine action capacity capable of planning, co-ordinating and managing all aspects of mine action activities in the country. The National Demining Committee (NDC) Chaired by the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, is the central body responsible for policy formulation, resource allocation and National Mine Action Strategy

The Humanitarian and Developmental Impact of Anti-Vehicle Mines

Anti-vehicle mines (AVMs) have always had a humanitarian impact, but their significance has often been overshadowed by the higher-profile topic of anti-personnel mines (APMs), and thus the need to address AVMs has been neglected. In some countries, AVMs now present a greater threat to civilian populations than APMs, yet they are often viewed as a marginal issue in international fora. This publication seeks to depict the physical, social, economic and developmental impact of AVMs. AVMs are landmines designed to be triggered by vehicles rather than individual people. They can remain active for decades, and a number of them are difficult to detect with normal demining equipment and techniques. A reduction of the duration of the active life of AVMs, restrictions on the laying of AVMs outside perimeter marked areas, increased detectability and accurate recordkeeping should be promoted as immediate steps to limit the humanitarian and developmental impact of these weapons

A Guide to Non-Technical Survey

The aim of this guide is to provide an introduction to Non-Technical Survey (NTS) for mine action personnel who wish to learn more about the subject, but who may lack practical experience. This guide collects the lessons learnt from the development and standardisation of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) Non-Technical Survey Training Course and will form part of the pre-course reading material. It aims to provide course participants with a better understanding of the theory and practice of NTS operations. The importance of the practical training cannot be overstated, and this guide is not meant to replace it, but rather to complement and support it. This guide is also intended to complement IMAS Chapter 07.11 Land Release and IMAS Chapter 08.10 Non-Technical Survey. This guide will be updated as needed in the future with a spirit of a continuous improvement process

Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining 2006 Annual Report

Annual narrative report on the work of the GICHD during 2006

Explosive Ordnance Risk Education: Sector Mapping and Needs Analysis

The dramatic rise in the number of civilian casualties from explosive ordnance (EO) since 2013 has triggered a debate in the mine action (MA) sector about the effectiveness of explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) (often shortened to risk education – RE). This rapid appraisal of EORE approaches, capacity, coordination and resources examines how the EORE sector is responding to new and emerging EO threats and violent operating environments to identify EORE good practices and potential needs. This report, based on document review and interviews with MA stakeholders conducted between mid-May and mid-June 2019, summarizes the research findings

Prioritisation Policy, Procedures and Practices Relating to UXO Clearance in Lao PDR

This report maps the current prioritisation system in Lao PDR, including UXO policies and related development policies of the Government of Lao PDR (GOL), standard operating procedures of UXO operators, and actual prioritisation practices of provincial, district and village‐level authorities, households, and UXO operators

Mine Action Strategy (2009-2013) - Azerbaijan

The mine/UXO problem in Azerbaijan is mainly resulted from the military aggression of Armenia over the territory of Azerbaijan. Although the hostilities had ceased in May 1994, a permanent peace is yet to be achieved (negotiations are underway with the assistance of OSCE Minsk Group, chaired by the USA, France and Russia). Despite this, the rehabilitation of accessible war-torn areas are continuing since 1996. The Scope of the Problem in this publication refers to problems in the accessible war torn territories. This is where the presence of mine/UXOs are impacting livelihoods of population and impeding development and rehabilitation efforts of the Government of Azerbaijan. To have an idea on the magnitude of the mine/UXO problem for the purposes of both, strategic and operational planning, ANAMA has been exploring all possible ways & means, including outside support. In this context, the General Survey (Level 1 Survey) was undertaken in 2001 followed by the LIS (Landmine Impact Survey), conducted jointly with SAC in 18 districts from September 2002 to June 2003

Information Requirements for Explosive Remnants of War, the Views of the Clearance Community

Access to relevant information is vital to the establishment and operational effectiveness of any clearance and risk education programme designed to alleviate the effects of explosive remnants of war (ERW). Where that information is available, it can have a direct and almost immediate impact on operations, and helps to ensure that the threat from ERW is dealt with efficiently, mitigating the risk for civilians. However, the type and level of information needed will vary depending on the parties to the conflict, nature of the conflict, and the location of ERW. Information, such as the nature of the munitions used and their aim points, is extremely useful to the organisations involved in post-conflict clearance and risk education operations. This information assists in establishing the size of the operation, identification of the assets required for the problem, training requirements, resource mobilisation, and prioritisation of tasks. The information required to assist clearance and risk education operations is generally available to most parties to a conflict. The issue is ensuring that accurate information is released in a timely manner and in a useable format. Failure to release the information by the military means that humanitarian organisations have no alternative but to try to find the answers themselves, as the information is essential to the safety and effectiveness of their work. This inevitably has significant resource implications, not just in terms of cost for field surveys, or in the substantial amount of time involved, but potentially also in human lives and limbs that could otherwise have been saved. Where survey work is required because of the lack of information, the risks are raised that an accident will occur within the civilian community; not knowing or not being informed that a munition has been used can lead to important messages not being passed to the local communities leaving them in greater risk. Supported by the Coordinator for ERW, the GICHD undertook a study on the Information Requirements for ERW. The aim of that report was to inform States Parties of what those currently engaged in clearance and risk education operations believe are their information requirements. This discussion paper summarises the main findings of that report

A Study of Local Organisations in Mine Action

This Study of Local Organisations in Mine Action, which was requested by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), is an assessment of the successes and failures of local mine action organisations, including their competence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. It examines how, and to what extent, national governments have encouraged and supported such organisations, and whether they have given priority or preferential treatment to such rganisations in issuing contracts or funding. It examines how much external assistance has been needed to reach the necessary standards of competence, and whether the newly-formed organisations have been able to implement national standards derived from the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), especially in the areas of quality management and financial transparency. It further considers whether the trained management capability derived from national organisations has been exploited in the formation of national mine action coordination centres or government demining commissions