NPA is willing to provide assistance to Vietnam’s accession to CCM

NPA is willing to provide assistance to Vietnam’s accession to CCM

PANO – The international community expects that Vietnam will soon accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) to boost mine action in the country. However, there are some questions relating to the conventions that need to be elaborated. Jonathon Guthrie, Country Director of Norwegian People’s Aid in Vietnam, answered them in an interview with the People’s Army Newspaper:

Vietnamese sappers in a mine clearance mission. Photo: PANO

- What is your opinion on those states that have used cluster munitions and their responsibility to victim states under the convention, Sir?

Jonathon Guthrie: First and foremost, the convention does not just focus on the clearance of cluster munitions. It is about people. And, it is a convention to prevent the use of weapons that indiscriminately kill, maim, or harm innocent victims, both during conflict and for many years later. The focus is on preventing the use of cluster munitions in the future through the ban and stigmatisation of the use of such weapons. Although 100% success of the convention has not been achieved yet, predominant users such as allied forces in Afghanistan have not used cluster munitions since the convention came into force.

This being said, I believe that those states that have used cluster munitions should support the victim states in terms of technical, financial or other means of assistance.

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Assistance to victim states should not come from just those states that are users, but all states parties that are in a position to do so. I don’t think that victim states should or will be successful in adjusting the convention towards placing emphasis on the user states and their requirement for support, for the reasons already stated, specifically that the convention is first and foremost about the people.

- What is NPA doing in Vietnam to work towards Article 4 of the convention?

Jonathon Guthrie: NPA is conducting survey and clearance operations in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Tri provinces. NPA has designed a survey methodology that targets cluster munitions during the technical survey process, and when conducting clearance of these areas, our teams remove all forms of unexploded ordnances (UXO) in the process. Indications in both Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue show that where the cluster munitions contamination lies, so does most of the other UXO contaminations, as much as 70% in most cases. Through this process, the extent of the cluster munitions contamination can be estimated and clearance requirements established.

NPA is also working with the national authorities to establish an MoU that will cover support to the Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal under the Engineering Command (BOMICEN) and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence to transfer this knowledge and build the capacity of Vietnamese clearance assets to not only achieve Article 4 requirements, but also make Vietnam safe of UXO, leaving behind a residual risk as seen in those countries affected from World War 2 bombings.

Furthermore, it is my understanding that the Government of Vietnam has a concern that it cannot meet its clearance obligations in the 10-year time frame with a 5-year extension. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify that states with gross contamination, such as Vietnam and other South East Asian (SEA) countries, are not restricted to one period of extension. In fact, the convention was designed specifically with SEA in mind, and allows for multiple extension periods, each of 5 years. When requesting further extensions, a state shall report on what they have achieved in the previous extension period.

- How does NPA see itself supporting Vietnam if it was to accede to the conventions?

Jonathon Guthrie: In addition to the previously mentioned activities, NPA seeks to support Vietnam in policy development in relation to the convention, education and training, universalisation of the convention and assist in technical advice and support to see Vietnam positions itself as the regional leader of the convention. NPA will also support Vietnam in achieving and reporting its requirements under the convention. NPA sees Vietnam taking a vital role in regional leadership and universalisation of the convention, and looks forward to providing assistance in the near future.

- Thank you very much!

NGOC HUNG

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