PHNOM PENH: The Chairman of the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, Senior Minister Ly Thuch, has called on all relevant partners to participate in the effort to clear all minefields in Cambodia and transform all still-affected areas into safe land.
Speaking at the dissemination of the results on the study of "Mine Action and Sustainable Development in Cambodia" on Thursday morning, Senior Minister Ly Thuch said that demining efforts in Cambodia have become one of the country’s great successes in history due to the commitment of the Royal Government and the participation of all stakeholders.
He stated, "In order to achieve a mine-free Cambodia in 2025, the Royal Government of Cambodia has not slowed down [its efforts] and is constantly stepping up demining work, the mobilization of resources and the need for stakeholder contribution.”
On the matter of cooperation, the Senior Minister said, “We need to continue such cooperation. We need to continue to support the mine action sector until the day the last minefield in Cambodia is turned into safe land. We all have started [this mission] together and we will finish our work together towards a landmine-free Cambodia by 2025."
He also thanked past and present development partner countries and donors, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, the European Union, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. He also gave mention to the UNDP, UNICEF and GICHD for their involvement in demining operations.
The results on the study on "Mine Action and Sustainable Development in Cambodia" provide clear evidence of the impact of mine action on sustainable development at various levels through the reduction of risks faced by local communities affected by the presence of explosive weapons. In addition, the study shows that the design and implementation of mine action programs and integrated development programs provide better humanitarian and development results, as well as confirm that strong partnerships at all levels outside of mine action can maximize the impact and sustainability of mine action efforts.
