Laos to carry out project to assist people affected by Agent Orange

The National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector (NRA) in Laos agreed to partner with the War Legacies Project, which will see Phase II of a survey on the use of Agent Orange and support for people with birth Read More …

China helps train international experts in clearing land mines

Forty people from the armed forces in Cambodia and Laos completed a three-month training session on mine-clearing skills on Friday. The training, including the use of the latest mine-clearing technologies, will keep mine-clearing forces in their countries safe and enable Read More …

Cluster Munitions: New Use, Transfers Challenge Total Ban

Civilian harm from new use of cluster munitions and recent transfers of the weapon show the urgent need for all countries to join the international ban on cluster munitions, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing the 96-page global “Cluster Read More …

Laos: US, Norway provide extra US$20.8 million for UXO clearance

The governments of the United States of America and Norway have a continuing long-term commitment to supporting the unexploded ordnance (UXO) sector in Laos, with a combined total of over US$20.8 million committed to Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) to support Read More …

UNODC: Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia – Latest developments and challenges

East and Southeast Asia’s drug market has been marked by a decade of growth in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs, particularly methamphetamine – a trend that continues. The region has also experienced an expansion in the production and Read More …

Cambodia: Lao delegation on Kingdom visit to discuss mine action

A delegation from Laos visited Cambodia and exchanged experiences on mine action and relevant work experiences on management, information gathering, planning and prioritising mine action in the Kingdom. The Lao delegation visited Cambodia in coordination with the Norwegian People’s Aid Read More …

‘I don’t want more children to suffer what I did’: the 50-year fight to clear US bombs from Laos

Youa Thaiyang is standing at the edge of his field in the northern Laos province of Xieng Khouang. A slight man of 61, dressed in jeans and flip-flops, he’s showing a photo of a BLU-26 submunition to a community liaison Read More …

Laos: Over 1.8 mln unexploded bombs cleared since 1996

Over 1.8 million unexploded ordnance (UXO) devices have been cleared from 79,599 hectares of land from 1996 to February 2023, making agricultural land safe for farmers and freeing up other areas for development. The figures were released by Lao Deputy Read More …

Canada: Trudeau pledges $1 million for clearing landmines, cluster bombs in Cambodia and Laos

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has wrapped up his first stop of a tour in Southeast Asia by announcing nearly $1 million to help remove unexploded landmines and cluster bombs from the region. He made the $990,000 pledge at an event Read More …

Handbook for Capacity Development in Mine Action (Lao) ປື້ມມຄູ່ມື ສໍາລັບ ການພັດທະນາຂີດຄວາມສາມາດ ໃນວຽກງານເກັບກູ້ລະເບີດ

The handbook for Capacity Development in Mine Action was published to capture the wealth of UNDP’s experience of developing capacities in mine action programming and share the best practices and lessons learned with national and international development partners. UNDP Lao Read More …

Unexploded ordnance harming development of Laos

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) has caused great harm to the development of Laos, highlighting the need for its accelerated clearance, the Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Monday citing a top United Nations (UN) official. The UN Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Read More …

US approves $89 million to help Ukraine clear land mines

The United States approved $89 million in land mine removal assistance for Ukraine, another financial commitment from Washington nearly half a year after Russia began its invasion of its neighboring country. The State Department announced the allocation of the significant Read More …

Laos: Mines Advisory Group team finds, deactivates three large bombs in Khammuan and Xieng Khuang provinces

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) found and detonated three large bombs in Khammuan and Xieng Khuang provinces in a single week. This week, MAG’s community liaison team received a hotline call reporting two large bombs, one in Khammuan province and Read More …

Laos destroys 1.7M UXO devices during 1996-2021

Nearly 1.7 million unexploded ordnance (UXO) items had been destroyed by clearance teams in Laos from 1996 to December 31, 2021, while over 71,000 hectares of land were cleared of munitions. The figures were released at a consultation meeting on Read More …

Beijing clears US bombs before constructing China-Laos railway

Despite ending nearly 50 years ago, US military operations in Laos have left behind a legacy of destruction that still endangers lives today. On Dec 3, 2021, the China-Laos railway opened to traffic, connecting Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan province Read More …

Cambodia: Call for solidarity to increase mine action capacity

Ly Thuch, Senior Minister and First vice-president of Cambodia Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, said that donor countries, development partners and stakeholders need to continue to work together on mine action and be committed to supporting each other to Read More …

Norway continues support for unexploded bombs clearance in Lao PDR

The HALO Trust and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Laotian Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare represented by the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector (NRA) in Lao. The signing Read More …

Laos govt says unexploded bomb-mine (UXO) clearance authority needs more funding

The government has called for more support for UXO clearance operations, with 132,000 hectares of land having been surveyed and confirmed to be contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Director General of the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector under the Read More …