On May 11, in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Korea Development Strategy (KDS, President Ki-duck Shin), in collaboration with the UNDP Vietnam Office and the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC), held the launch ceremony and the 1st Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting for the project ‘Clearing the Past, Greening the Future in the Mekong Region (CPGFM).’

The event was attended by officials and experts from various organizations, including the MKCF Secretariat, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, and National Mine Action Centers (NMACs) from Mekong region countries.

The ceremony commenced with opening remarks by Hong-min Chun, Vice President of KDS, followed by welcoming remarks from Francesca Nardini, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Vietnam, and congratulatory speeches by Young-hee Han, Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, and Madhurjya Kumar Dutta, Director of the Mekong Institute (MI).

The CPGFM project is a 36-month regional cooperation initiative supported by a 1 million USD grant from the Mekong-Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF). It primarily targets Vietnam, Cambodia, and Lao PDR—countries heavily impacted by landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). KDS, UNDP Vietnam, and ARMAC serve as joint implementing partners. The project aims to analyze the nexus between climate/environmental crises and mine/UXO contamination in the Mekong region and establish a framework for climate-adaptive and environmentally friendly mine action.

Specifically, the project includes ▲ Analysis of mutual risks among climate, environment, and mine action ▲ Implementation of climate-adaptive mine action pilot projects ▲ Development of environmental standard guidelines for Vietnam’s national mine action ▲ Operation of a knowledge-sharing consultative body within the Mekong region and ▲ Establishment of a regional information platform.

Through these efforts, the project is expected to enhance the climate crisis response capabilities and sustainable mine action systems of Mekong countries, contributing to the formulation of regional cooperation models and policy guidelines. Furthermore, considering the presence of large-scale minefields in border areas such as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Civilian Control Line (CCL) in Korea, the project plans to establish a Korea-Mekong mine action cooperation framework by inviting relevant Korean institutions to capacity-building workshops and meetings to share current issues and expertise.

Hong-min Chun, Vice President of KDS, stated, “This project is one of the first attempts in the Mekong region to link humanitarian mine action with climate crisis response and environmental protection. Through field-based verification and regional cooperation, we plan to build a substantive model for climate-adaptive mine action.”

Following the launch, the 1st PAC meeting was held to discuss the project’s strategic direction, detailed activities, implementation framework, and cooperation plans.

KDS intends to continue contributing to the peaceful and sustainable development of the Mekong region through close cooperation with Mekong countries, international organizations, and regional bodies.

LINK : https://www.kdpress.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=205154