Lao PDR
Support for Mine Action
In 2015, 11 donors contributed US$29.7 million to support mine action in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), compared to 14 donors and $37.3 million in 2014.[1]
The United States (US) and Japan together provided three-quarters of all international funding in 2015.
Of the $29.7 million, 85% went toward clearance and risk education activities with $25.2 million provided, $2.2 million went toward victim assistance (7% of total funding), and some $900,000 million supported capacity-building activities (3%). The remaining 3% was not disaggregated by the donors.
In September 2016, the US announced it would provide $90 million over three years to support unexploded ordinance (UXO) survey and clearance operations as well as victim assistance projects.[2] New Zealand also declared it would commit $7.3 million from 2017–2020 to support UXO clearance and survey through the UNDP.[3]
In 2015, the government of Lao PDR reported a contribution of $4.8 million to its own mine action program, mainly to cover administrative costs such as rent, equipment, and personnel expenses.[4]
International contributions: 2015[5]
|
Donor |
Sector |
Amount (national currency) |
Amount ($) |
|
US |
Clearance and victim assistance |
US$14,000,000 |
14,000,000 |
|
Japan |
Clearance and capacity-building |
¥1,030,985,634 |
8,517,023 |
|
Norway |
Clearance and victim assistance |
NOK20,700,000 |
2,565,660 |
|
Netherlands |
Various |
€1,300,000 |
1,442,480 |
|
United Kingdom |
Clearance and risk education |
£830,885 |
1,269,925 |
|
Switzerland |
Clearance and risk education |
CHF954,155 |
991,021 |
|
Ireland |
Clearance |
€500,00 |
554,800 |
|
Luxembourg |
Various |
€192,727 |
213,850 |
|
Canada |
Clearance |
C$158,982 |
124,292 |
|
European Union |
Clearance |
€29,120 |
32,312 |
|
Germany |
Clearance |
€3,257 |
3,614 |
|
Total |
|
|
29,714,977 |
With more than $164 million received from 2011–2015, international contributions to Lao PDR have averaged about $32 million per year, which is twice as much as during the previous five-year period 2006–2010, when donors provided $70.2 million (an average of $14 million per year).
Summary of international contributions: 2011–2015[6]
|
Year |
Amount ($) |
% change from previous year ($) |
|
2015 |
29,714,977 |
-20 |
|
2014 |
37,251,422 |
7 |
|
2013 |
34,827,039 |
-16 |
|
2012 |
41,216,481 |
91 |
|
2011 |
21,574,935 |
4 |
|
Total |
164,584,854 |
|
[1] Canada, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 17 March 2016; Germany, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, 4 April 2016; Ireland, Convention on Conventional Weapons Amended Protocol II Annual Report, Form E and Annex 1, 31 March 2016; Japan, Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form J, April 2016; Netherlands, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, April 2016; Switzerland, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 28 April 2016; United Kingdom, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 29 April 2016; emails from Frank Meeussen, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Export Control, European External Action Service, 30 September 2016; from Katherine Baker, Foreign Affairs Officer, Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State, 12 September 2016; and from Ingrid Schoyen, Senior Adviser, Section for Humanitarian Affairs, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2016; and response to Monitor questionnaire by Robert Steinmetz, Expert in Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 11 May 2016. [Note, footnote amended 15 December 2016.]
[2] The White House, “Fact sheet: US-Laos relations,” 6 September 2016.
[3] UNDP, “Unexploded ordnance clearance in Xieng Khouang receives a boost,” 8 September 2016.
[4] Lao PDR, Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 7 Report, Form I, 5 May 2016.
[5] Average exchange rate for 2015: C$1.2791=US$1; €1=US$1.1096; ¥121.05=US$1; NOK8.0681=US$1; £1=US$1.5284; CHF0.9628=US$1. US Federal Reserve, “List of Exchange Rates (Annual),” 4 January 2016.
[6] See previous Monitor profiles.