Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

The Gichd Land Release Project, Tim Lardner

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the past, inconsistent and inefficient methods of identifying and clearing mines and unexploded ordnance have wasted precious demining resources and left affected areas contaminated. In 2006, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Deming recognized the need for a more effective land-release process in the international mine-action community and subsequently developed the Land Release Project.

The Association Of Volunteers In International Service Foundation, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Association of Volunteers in International Service is an international not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in Italy in 1972. The AVSI mission is to support individuals in developing countries focusing on education and dignity of all people according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is currently operating in 39 countries with 120 expatriates in extended field assignments and 700 local staff managing 111 long-term projects benefiting about 4.15 million people

Ncdr And Women In Jordan, Adnan Telfah, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

High levels of gender inequality exist within Jordan—inequalities that affect the workforce. In a nation like Jordan, where women have minimal political participation and only 26 percent of women are active economically, it is difficult for women to be incorporated into the workforce. Fewer women are employed outside of the home when compared to men, with only 9 percent of Jordanian women above the age of 15 working outside their homes. Among females, unemployment rates are double those for males; further, high percentages of women are discouraged from seeking employment outside of the home. Women who are employed are typically …

United Nations Development Fund For Women, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has taken several measures to promote gender equality in all areas of life. These include not only several operational programs around the world but also a number of important areas of information collection and dissemination through various publications. These areas of work have been invaluable for organizations attempting to further gender equality in mine action. They have provided a starting line of information on how women are disproportionately affected by armed conflict and ERW as well as how women can be better integrated into solving the problems following a mine- accident.

Mixing It Up: The Rotary Mine Comb, Chris Wanner

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Rotary Mine Comb has been put to the test on Angola’s most dangerous stretch of road. In the province of Cuando Cubango, The HALO Trust has deployed the vehicle-based RMC system with impressive results. This article assesses the system’s features and minimal-metal anti-tank mine-clearance capabilities in the field.

Experimenting With New Technologies For Technical Survey In Humanitarian Demining, Fernando Termentini, Salvatore Esposito, Marco Balsi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Humanitarian Demining Laboratory of Università La Sapienza di Roma, Italy, currently performs research and experimental work for multisensor explosive-remnants-of-war detecting platforms. In this article, the authors report preliminary testing results on a new, active thermal technique discovered through their research.

Ec-Funded Mine Action In Africa: Volume 2 - Country Reports, Ted Paterson, Vera Bohle, Léonie Barnes, Mohamed Ahmed, Pamela Rebelo

Global CWD Repository

The Evaluation of EC support for mine action in Africa is the first of six regional mine action evaluations that the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) will conduct or commission for the European Commission (EC). These regional evaluations follow from a Global Assessment of EC support for mine action completed in 2005. Given the broad scope of a regional evaluation, no attempt was made to assess the performance of individual
projects; rather, the focus was on EC mine action strategy and programming issues at the country and regional levels. In addition to a document review, the evaluation team …

Gender In Mine Action: The Tajikistan Experience, Shahrinisso Davlyatova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses the involvement of Tajik women in educating those in their communities about the threats of landmines and unexploded ordnance. It also highlights why there is an increased danger from landmines and unexploded ordnance for women and children.

Gender In The Mine-Action Community, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Comparing the perspectives of multiple gender specialists and detailing real-world examples, this article provides a multi-faceted look at gender mainstreaming in the mine-action community. The authors analyze four of the five mine-action pillars: clearance, mine-risk education, victim assistance and advocacy.

Cluster Munitions Monitoring And Information Campaign In Azerbaijan, Hafiz Safikhanov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article describes the initiatives undertaken by the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines to confront the threat of cluster munitions in the country. Since the publication of its report in January of 2008, AzCBL has continued to lobby the government of Azerbaijan to ban the use of cluster munitions.

News Briefs, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

News Briefs

Evaluation Of Ec Funded Mine Action Programmes In Africa, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

The Evaluation of EC support for mine action in Africa is the first of six regional mine action evaluations that the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) will conduct or commission for the European Commission (EC). These regional evaluations followon from a Global Assessment of EC support for mine action completed in 2005. Given the broad scope of a regional evaluation, no attempt was made to assess the performance of individual projects; rather, the focus was on EC mine action strategy and programming issues at the country and regional levels. In addition to a document review, the evaluation team …

Evaluation Of The Mine Action Programme In Sudan, Ted Paterson, Vera Bohle

Global CWD Repository

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has hired three independent consultants to conduct an evaluation of the UN Mine Action Programme in Sudan (“the Programme”). The aims of this evaluation are to assess the efficacy of the Programme and the United Nations Mine Action Office (UNMAO) with a focus on the period following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to the present day; to identify strengths and weaknesses in the relationships, structures and processes that have been established; and to make recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the programme. The main four areas reviewed during …

Ddasaccident689, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

While he was prodding in the Mine Field suddenly a stone slipped down.

Ddasaccident684, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Team member established rest area in the one side of the previously cleared BAC task#228, during the off time the deminers wants to rest in the designated rest area in the task # 228, on the way to the rest area the deminers hit a stone by foot and the accident happened to them.

Ddasaccident564, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

According to the deminer statement: He starts his work. At 6.45 AM. After short break for 15 minutes from 7.30 to 7.45 he restart his work and found an AP mine approximately at 7.55 AM .The mine was RSP by the team Leader and he restart his work after few minutes his detector indicate a signal and after pin pointing the signal he use the prodder and start excavating the ground with his shovel. While he was excavating his visor fall down and simultaneously he activate the buried mine with his shovel. (

Unmas 2007 Annual Report, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

The operations managed by the United Nations Mine Action Service—or UNMAS—in 2007 allowed tens of thousands of people in hundreds of communities to resume their normal lives, reclaim their livelihoods and put formerly dangerous land to safe and productive use. In addition, thousands of kilometres of mined roads were cleared, enabling men, women, girls and boys to once again travel safely to markets, health centers and schools. Fewer civilians are living in fear in the nine countries or territories where UNMAS works. UNMAS continued to pursue the goals set forth in the United Nations Inter-Agency Mine Action Strategy for 2006 …

Performance Evaluation Test Of The Peco Tracked Brush Blazer, Ida, U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development, Office Of The Assistant Secretary Of Defense Special Operations And Low-Intensity Conflict

Global CWD Repository

Area preparation for demining remains one of the dangerous yet necessary tasks for organizations undertaking humanitarian demining missions. To date, the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research and Development Program has provided a number of area preparation systems. The emphasis, however, has been on light (1–2 ton) to heavy (5–15 ton) platforms with a wide range of working attachments. There was a need for a robust, lightweight cutter to complement the heavier assets available from the U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program. One such system that appeared to be a good addition to the area preparation tools available under the U.S. program was the …

From Paris 2005 To Accra 2008: Will Aid Become More Accountable And Effective?, International Cso Steering Group

Global CWD Repository

This draft position paper has been prepared by the International CSO1 Steering Group (ISG) coordinating the “CSO Parallel Process to the Ghana High Level Forum Network”. The ISG coordinating CSO Parallel Process to the Ghana High Level Forum network brings together various local, national, regional and international NGOs who are engaged in development issues, particularly the aid architecture and the aid effectiveness agenda. This network is involved in a multi-stakeholder process of engagement leading towards the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, to be held in Accra, Ghana, in September 2008.

Adaptive Technology Catalog, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

By design, the purpose of this Adaptive Technology Catalog is to provide a resource for governments, survivor-assistance and other agencies to help victims of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) and other disabled workers get back to self-sufficiency and paid work.

Designing, developing and identifying simple and inexpensive tools and programs that assist with survivor work reintegration is a challenge with broad implications for the economic recovery of communities and nations as they emerge from conflict. The Adaptive Technology Catalog was created to offer information pertaining to both products that are readily available for use and those that …

Global Education And Training Initiatives Directory (Geti), Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Global Education and Training Initiatives Directory has been created through the generous funding of the U.S. Department of State, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA).

The Global Education and Training Initiatives Directory represents a first effort to document the collective training and education opportunities that span a range of technical activities within mine action, explosive ordnance disposal and small arms/light weapons control and destruction. Efforts to counter the threats of landmines, unexploded ordnance and small arms/light weapons have traditionally been treated as separate entities; however, this directory is an effort to bring them together.

Training and education opportunities …

How Students And Educators Can Get Involved In Mine Action, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

Students have a number of available options for getting involved in helping the global mine action community. Below are some examples of programs in which students can participate!

Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

This Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook reports on advances being made in casualty data collection and management and offers lessons learned that countries can reflect upon as they undertake the challenging task of building mine/ ERW victim information systems that meet their needs for data to use in planning and implementing their comprehensive mine action programs, including mine clearance, mine risk education and victim assistance. While the Guidebook is premised on the advances being made in some countries, much more progress is needed before effective landmine/ERW victim information systems will be operating in all mine-affected countries. It is important …

Victim Assistance In The World Today, Mike Boddington

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to average budgets of the 2007 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects, victim-assistance programs are the third most-funded category after clearance and humanitarian mine-action program oversight. The author thinks the global mine-action community needs to reconsider how it handles victim assistance. This article outlines the qualities necessary for effective victim assistance and calls the community to action.

Mine Action Programme For Afghanistan, Mine Action Strategic Guideline (2008-2013), Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This document outlines the 5-year strategic plan for the Mine Action Coordination Centre for Afghanistan from 2008 to 2013. It includes an overview of the landmine and explosive remnants of war contamination in Afghanistan as it stands in 2008 and outlines the Afghan Government's strategic plan to achieve identified targets in remediating contaminated land.

Multi-Year Strategic Plan For The Kosovo Mine Action Programme (2008-2010), Cisr, Unmik

Global CWD Repository

The Multi-Year Strategic Plan 2008-2010 for the Kosovo Mine Action Programme (MYSP 2008-2010) aims to reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of mines and UXOs (Unexploded Ordnance) on Kosovo and its people.

Sudan's Expensive Minefields: An Evaluation Of Political And Economic Problems In Sudanese Mine Clearance, Matthew Bolton

Global CWD Repository

Sudan is an extremely difficult place to run a demining program. Mine clearance agencies face astronomical prices of goods and services, monumental logistical challenges, bureaucratic impediments from government, fraught labor disputes and a deeply embedded political economy of conflict. This multitude of problems has made Sudan one of the most unproductive demining programs, in terms of ordnance or area cleared per US dollar, in the world. This begs the question whether the level of international investment in Sudanese mine action is truly worth it. This paper will argue that in terms of saving lives or increasing access to socio-economic development, …

Ec-Funded Mine Action In Latin America Volume 2 - Country Reports, Russell Gasser

Global CWD Repository

The EC Anti-Personnel Landmine Regulation of 2001 mandated evaluations of EC Mine Action strategy every three years. The first report was a Global Evaluation published in 2005, but this report forms one part of the 2008 evaluation by regions and covers Latin America, 2002-2007.

Total EC funding for mine action in Latin America in the period 2002-2007 was about 8 million euros, roughly 2% of the EC total world wide budget for mine action. Sixty-eight percent of the eight million euros was from the dedicated thematic Anti-Personnel Landmine budget line and 31% was from the geographic budget for Colombia. There …

Itf Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2008, Itf-Enhancy Human Security

Global CWD Repository

Since 1998, ITF has grown into an internationally recognized organization, supported by donations from extensive number of governments, public and private organizations, companies and individuals that has already surpassed the figure of 330 million USD. ITF contribution to the global fight against landmines and especially to the one in South East Europe (SEE) can not and must not be measured solely by numbers and statistical data. The contribution must be viewed in terms of its input to the restoration of conditions for cultural, social and economic lives of individuals and communities living in or emerging from war-torn society. Stable conditions …

Apopo Annual Report 2008, Apopo

Global CWD Repository

2008 was a year of transformation and consolidation for APOPO.

Besides the technical achievements in the training and research programmes, APOPO went through a phase of restructuring and strategic revision of future plans. I firmly believe that this collective effort will result in a more sustainable social enterprise with a higher social impact in the future.

I am also proud to say that the long anticipated output of the Mine Detection Rats finally materialized in Mozambique, and we are confident this will trigger more operational deployment of the Mine Detection Rats in the region soon.

The research carried out with …