Operations

UXO Lao operations reflect the generic principles of humanitarian mine action:

UXO RISK EDUCATION TASKS OR COMMUNITY AWARENESS (CA) – Raise the awareness of people living in UXO affected areas. CA teams utilise various methods to communicate their message including: puppet shows, songs, dances, and games. The teams support survey operations by noting locations of UXO pinpointed by villagers during community awareness activities.

SURVEY TASK – Two person teams conduct survey tasks. They provide detailed maps and information on locations of UXO reported. The enhanced technical survey (ETS) task is a new methodology developped by UXO Lao in 2007. ETS teams evaluate a clearance request by studying available UXO records for a particular area (bombing data, reported UXO, and UXO victims.) Combined with a 25% sampling of the land area, this leads to the request being either: (1) tasked to an area clearance team or (2) designated low priority / low UXO impact threat (for possible clearance at some future date.) If the ETS team determines the task to be low priority, landowners are advised that there is little reason to believe that UXO is present and that they may start using the land. The ETS makes more land available faster than area clearance and utilises less resources.

ROVING TASKS – Remove and destroy surface UXO. Increase the confidence and safety of people living in UXO affected areas to engage in their livelihoods and lead normal lives.

CLEARANCE TASKS – Search for and remove UXO under the ground by using detectors. Increase the amount of land available for agriculture and other social-economic development projects.

UXO Lao complies with the national standards implemented by the UXO National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector in Lao PDR (NRA)

For the videos of UXO Lao operation for 20 years, please follow these links as below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PvMJFIdsro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfXdQsYo-6c&authuser=0

Organization

The Lao Government established the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) with the support of UNDP, UNICEF, and other stakeholders through Prime Minister’s Decree Number 49, dated 13 February 1996, working under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Until beginning of 2013, UXO Lao was transferred from Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to the National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication. But at the beginning of 2016, UXO Lao was transferred from the National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication back to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

UXO Lao maintains its National Office in Vientiane. It operates in nine of the most UXO impacted provinces in the country (Huaphanh, Luangprabang, Xiengkhuang, Khammuane, Savannakhet, Salavan, Sekong, Champasak and Attapue). In every province, the provincial office works closely with their respective Provincial Office for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication coordinates with other departments such as health, education, agriculture, and forestry for work planning purposes.

Mandate:

1. Reduce the number of casualties caused by unexploded ordnance.

2. Increase the amount of land available for food production and other social-economic development activities.