Vietnam Approves UXO Consequence Action Program for 2023-2025

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a decision approving a 2023-2025 national action program on the settlement of consequences of unexploded ordnances (UXOs) left by the war.

The program aims at mobilizing and using domestic and international resources to minimize the effects of UXO on the country's socio-economic development, ensuring safety for the people. It seeks to promote dissemination activities to raise people’s awareness of mine accidents and help UXO victims reintegrate into the community, as well as its compliance with Vietnamese laws and international treaties and agreements that Vietnam has signed.

The program targets studying and perfecting an organizational structure system from the central to the local level to utilize domestic and international resources to implement the national action program on settling the consequences of wartime UXOs in Vietnam (Program 504).

It seeks to upgrade at least five regional orthopedic and rehabilitation establishments and build at least 15 models of commune-level health stations to assist UXO victims, with priority given to heavily polluted areas, provide timely treatment for victims of UXO accidents, and proactively support their sustainable livelihoods. The program also looks to build a database to assist the victims.

The PM asked the Ministry of National Defense to coordinate with other ministries, agencies and localities in the implementation of the approved plan.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs was ordered to work with the Ministry of National Defense, the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) and relevant ministries, agencies and localities in negotiating and signing international cooperation documents and receiving resources for the implementation of the plan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with other ministries and localities in bringing contents of cooperation and assistance in overcoming post-war consequences of landmines and UXOs into the working programs of Party and State leaders with relevant international organizations and regional forums.

The Ministry of Finance was requested to collaborate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of National Defense in balancing and allocating the state budget in to implement the plan.

The Ministry of Information and Communications will coordinate with the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, the Vietnam Journalists Association, the Ministry of National Defense and relevant ministries and agencies to direct and provide accurate and timely information on the work.

The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities were asked to include post-war bomb and mine remediation activities into their local socio-economic development plans. They were also assigned to promote the dissemination work to raise people's awareness about mine accidents and support UXO victims in line with state regulations. (Bienphong, Kinhtedothi, VTV, Tintuc)