The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) has requested cooperation from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining Centre (GICHD) in Switzerland to provide technical advice on mine risk management to ensure national infrastructure development and protect the lives of rural people.

The request was made during a meeting between CMAA secretary-general Ly Panharith and GICHD programme manager Stephen Robinson, as the former led a Cambodian delegation to a regional workshop on “Risk Management and Responsibility for Mine Clearance and Post-Mine Clearance Risk Management for Southeast Asia” on May 22-26 in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

“Panharith led the delegation to meet with Robinson and requested cooperation on technical standards and, in particular, technical advice in the preparation of standards and strategic documents concerning mine risk management in Cambodia,” the CMAA said in a May 26 social media post.

The post said the workshop, held in collaboration with the GICHD and the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC), brought together about 60 participants, including the National Mine Authority and the National and International operators from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.