On Friday, a signing ceremony was held at the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) headquarters in Phnom Penh to formalize a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao), and CMAC. The agreement aims to enhance South-South cooperation between Cambodia and Laos in the field of mine action and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The ceremony was attended by Heng Ratana, Delegate of the Royal Government in charge as Director General of CMAC; Eri Komukai, Senior Advisor to JICA in Tokyo; and Saomany Manivong, Deputy Director General of UXO Lao.

The MoU will be implemented through two ongoing projects: “Human Resources Development to Strengthen the Capacity of UXO Lao” and “Strengthening the Functions of CMAC – Phase 2.” The cooperation will span three years, from September 2025 to June 2028, focusing on two key objectives: The development and dissemination of UXO Lao’s long-term strategic plan (2027–2036), including efforts in fundraising and public relations; and the effective implementation of this strategic plan. This MoU marks the continuation of a collaborative partnership that began in 2012. From 2012 to 2023, three phases of South-South cooperation have already been successfully implemented, involving a total of 235 Laotian participants.

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