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The Arabic speaking region is affected by landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) from both current conflicts and those as far back as World War II. According to Landmine Monitor, there are 18 Arabic speaking countries or territories in which landmines and ERW pose, to a different degree, long-term hazards to the lives and livelihoods of the population.

The GICHD has initiated an Arabic-language Outreach Programme (AOP) for mine action in partnership with the Arab states and regional organisations. The purpose is to improve knowledge, exchange experiences, and to promote best mine action practices throughout the Arabic speaking world.

Immediate beneficiaries of this programme are thousands of employees of the national mine action programmes who will have access to up-to-date information on mine action in Arabic. Also, it will benefit Arabic-speaking militaries and civilian personnel engaged in mine action, as part of the UN peace-keeping operations or other international humanitarian assistance and development cooperation activities.

This programme aims to reduce significantly the resources spent on training, translation, and capacity development by individual mine-affected States in the Middle East and North Africa. Based on identified needs and requirements established by the Arabic-speaking mine/ERW-affected countries, the main activities of the AOP could include:

  • organising collective mine action training and workshops in Arabic
  • facilitating exchange of experience and personnel, regionally and internationally
  • mobilising local and regional Arabic-speaking expertise
  • translating the most needed mine action documents and publications into Arabic
  • creating an online Arabic mine action library as a primary source of mine action knowledge.

After three to five years, the GICHD would anticipate handing the programme over to a well established Arabic-speaking mine action entity, in the Arab world.

For further information, please contact

Faiz Paktian