Australia Commits New UXO funding
The Australian Government has committed another A$1 million (around LAK 7 billion) for UXO survey and clearance in 2014-15 to support community development in southern Laos, as well as additional funding for mine risk education and victim assistance.
Australia’s Ambassador to the Lao PDR, John Williams, said Australia would continue to support Lao Government efforts to address MDG9 under Australia’s next five-year bilateral aid strategy (2016-2020). This would involve further investments to address the risks UXOs pose to communities where Australia is implementing rural development and education projects.
The Ambassador said this renewed commitment reflected Australia’s desire to continue to help address the risks posed by UXOs to the Lao people and to the country’s development.
“Australia has historically been one of the leading donors in the UXO sector, contributing over A$30 million since 1996 in UXO clearance, mine risk education and victim assistance,” Ambassador Williams said.
He said Australia also wanted to acknowledge the significant and welcome change in approach by UXO Lao to focus primarily on clearance of confirmed hazardous areas.
“The new UXO Lao strategy, approved by the NRA Board in late November, is very welcome, and could potentially deliver more progress over the next 5-6 years than we have seen in the last two decades, in terms of reducing the humanitarian and development risks of UXOs.”
Ambassador Williams said Australia would, in line with Lao Government policy, continue its successful approach of integrated UXO clearance to support Australian aid projects.
This integrated clearance and development approach is consistent with NRA Announcement 93, which requires development partners to set aside a budget for UXO clearance in implementing projects in contaminated areas.
“Australia’s A$43 million rural development program will continue our successful partnership with UXO Lao in Saravane, Savannaket and Champassak to free up land for rural livelihoods projects in our target districts,” Williams said.
“Australia’s A$86 million basic education program (2014-18), which includes school construction and rehabilitation and water and sanitation work in 66 of the country’s poorest districts, will also include funding for UXO survey and clearance and risk education.”
This new approach would build on the success of Australian programs in Laos to date that had sought to integrate UXO clearance with community and livelihood development activities.
The $A13 million 2007-14 Laos-Australia NGO Cooperation Agreements (LANGOCA) program had, for example, prioritised UXO clearance on agricultural land to support livelihoods projects in rural communities where Australian-funded NGOs were working. An independent review had commented positively on the impact of this integrated clearance and livelihoods approach.
Ambassador Williams said Australia would also fulfil a promise to repair the UXO Lao office in Luang Prabang that was recently damaged by fire, and make a further contribution to the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) for its outstanding UXO survivor assistance work.
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