Background
Michael Creighton is the GICHD's Project Officer for Land Release. The Land Release Project is initially focused on developing non-technical mechanisms to allow the re-classification, or release, of land currently classified as Suspected Hazardous Areas (SHA). With this project GICHD is taking a broad role in the development of thinking in terms of releasing land in order to allow expensive clearance resources to be deployed to those areas where they are most likely to find mines and UXO. The project involves both research and outreach to assist states and programmes.
Prior to joining GICHD in January 2008 Michael served for 11 years as an Officer in the Royal Australian Engineer Corps. Michael is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College. His studies resulted in a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) and a Master of Arts (International Relations). Further study has been completed in the fields of personnel management, project management, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), high risk search, and nuclear, biological and chemical defence (NBCD). Since leaving the Military Michael has worked in a number of Mine Action programs worldwide in both the Commercial and Humanitarian sectors. Theatres served in include Iraq, Laos, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
