Mobilizing domestic and international resources to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines in Vietnam

Providing livelihood support to mine victims

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Standing Office of Steering Committee 701 chaired the conference.

Strengthening international cooperation , mobilizing resources to overcome the consequences of bombs and mines

Attending the conference were: Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dang Hoang Giang; Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Quang Hoi; Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union Nguyen Thi Minh Huong; along with representatives of agencies under the Ministry of National Defense , the General Staff, the General Department of Politics, units in the entire army, representatives of central and local departments, ministries, branches.

On the international side, there were the participation of Ambassadors from the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos; representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), military attaches, and delegates from embassies and international organizations cooperating in the field of overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines in Vietnam.

Mr. ITO Naoki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam spoke.

The conference took place in the context that the whole country had just completed the two-level local government apparatus and was preparing to summarize 15 years of implementing the National Program on overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines (2010-2025).

The event aims to call on all levels, sectors, agencies, units, businesses, international organizations and the community to join hands to overcome the consequences of bombs, mines and explosives left over from the war, contributing to ensuring safety for people and sustainable socio -economic development.

Mr. Marc Evans Knapper, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Vietnam, spoke.

According to VNMAC's report, in the 2023-2024 period, mine clearance work has achieved many important results: more than 73,000 hectares of land have been safely cleared, tens of thousands of people have been educated and informed about mine accident prevention. Vietnam currently has 44 international projects with a total aid value of more than 138 million USD, notably the project "Mine Action for Vietnam-Korea Peace Village" sponsored by KOICA, implemented in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai and Gia Lai.

In parallel with clearance activities, Vietnam is stepping up the development of a legal framework for overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines. The Ministry of National Defense is finalizing the draft Ordinance on Overcoming the Consequences of Post-War Bombs and Mines, expected to be submitted to the Government by the end of 2025, along with the National Strategy on Education on Mine Accident Prevention.

Representatives of the international organization CRS signed a memorandum of understanding with VNMAC.

At the conference, the Organizing Committee announced the Mine Action Support Fund managed by the Ministry of National Defense; signed international cooperation memoranda; listened to speeches and discussions from ambassadors and international organizations; provided livelihood support to 10 mine victims; and awarded organizations with outstanding achievements in overcoming the consequences of post-war mines and explosives.

Vietnam needs more than 200 trillion VND to clean up bombs and mines

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Standing Office of Steering Committee 701, spoke.

Speaking at the conference, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized: Bombs, mines and explosives left over from the war in Vietnam are still at a very high level, with about 5.6 million hectares of contaminated land, equivalent to 17.71% of the country's natural area. Many bomb and mine accidents still occur, causing casualties to people, seriously affecting the lives and socio-economic development. Every year, Vietnam has to spend thousands of billions of VND to handle the consequences of bombs and mines, ensure safety for people, free up land for socio-economic development, and contribute to the implementation of sustainable development goals.

Representatives of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and PeaceTrees Vietnam International Organization received the Friendship Medal.

Since 1995, Vietnam has received great support from the international community, including the governments of the United States, Korea, Japan, and many international and non-governmental organizations such as UNDP, UNMAS, GICHD, KOICA, JICA, NPA, Peace Trees Vietnam, MAG, CRS... These resources have significantly contributed to helping Vietnam expand the scale and effectiveness of mine action.

According to Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, the results achieved in international cooperation and resource mobilization are very remarkable. Support programs implemented in many localities have helped to significantly reduce the number of mine accidents. Many people affected by mines have been supported with jobs, livelihoods and community integration. This is a great result thanks to the efforts of the Vietnamese Government and the cooperation and support of the United States, other countries and international organizations.

International organizations receive Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister.

However, the work of overcoming the consequences of bombs and mines still faces many difficulties and challenges: the budget is limited; equipment and human resources do not meet requirements; mechanisms and policies need to be further improved; international funding mobilization does not have a long-term strategy, and the network of partners is still narrow.

Currently, the country still has 5.6 million hectares of land contaminated with bombs, mines and explosives, with the necessary funding for cleanup estimated at VND203,600 billion (equivalent to USD770 million). In addition to capital, improving human capacity and equipment for clearance is an urgent requirement.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Standing Office of Steering Committee 701 received and awarded sponsorship certificates to units and enterprises.

In 2025, the Ministry of National Defense approved the Project "Improving the capacity to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines in Vietnam", with the goal that by 2030 Vietnam will have enough capacity to complete the clearance of all remaining bombs and mines before 2065.

“With the direction of the Party and State; the drastic management of the Government; the participation of the entire political system from the central to local levels; and the companionship and support of countries, international organizations, and the support of the people, the Ministry of National Defense believes that the work of overcoming the consequences of post-war bombs, mines, and explosives in Vietnam will soon achieve the set goals,” Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien affirmed.

At the conference, more than 40 participating businesses and units donated billions of VND, such as: Vietnam-Russia Joint Venture Vietsovpetro; Corporation 319/Ministry of National Defense; Lung Lo Construction Corporation...

ANH THO

Source: https://nhandan.vn/huy-dong-nguon-luc-trong-nuoc-va-quoc-te-khac-phuc-hau-qua-bom-min-sau-chien-trunh-o-viet-nam-post916916.html