Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining
General
The Geneva
International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) was formally established
on 28 April 1998 as an international foundation in accordance with Swiss law.
The Centre aims to be an independent and impartial centre of excellence within
the international network of Mine Action activities, and it is supported by the
Governments of Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland,
the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the Republic and Canton of
Geneva.
The Centre’s budget totals CHF 6.7 million for the year 2000, of which
Switzerland covers over CHF 4 million as major contributor.
Mandate
The Centre aims to promote co-operation in the field of Mine Action
by assisting the United Nations – especially UNMAS as focal point for
Mine Action within the UN system – by providing services for their Mine
Action related activities;
by contributing to the formulation and development of coherent strategies
and procedures in Mine Action world-wide;
by providing specific operational support and assistance for ongoing Mine
Action activities;
by supporting the implementation of the “Convention on the Prohibition
of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer on Anti-Personnel Mines and on
their Destruction” (Mine Ban Convention, MBC) in co-operation with the
States Parties to the MBC; and
by supporting the implementation and further development of the humanitarian
mine action elements of the “Amended Protocol II to the Convention on
Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which
May be Deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate
Effects” (CCW) in co-operation with States Parties to the Convention and
the Protocol.
The Centre consists of 18 staff members, including
five “in-kind contributions” seconded by the Governments of France,
Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In total, eight different nationalities
are currently represented in the Centre.
Activities Between March 1999 and May 2000
Mine Action Strategies and Procedures
During the reporting period, the Centre continued
to carry out studies in three main areas: socio-economic, operational analysis,
and technology and standards. These studies aim to provide practical guidance
and support to the Mine Action projects and programmes in the field and may be
summarised as follows:
The Socio-economic Indicator Study, requested by UNDP and UNMAS, will
provide indicators of socio-economic impact and value, to help programme
managers on the assessment of such criteria. The study should be completed in
autumn 2000.
The Dog Study, carried out on behalf of UNMAS, will lead to the framing of
UN standards for the accreditation, training, evaluation and use of mine
detecting dogs. First results will be available in summer 2000, the final paper
will be submitted in autumn 2001.
The Operational Needs Study, carried out on behalf of UNMAS, aims to review
the equipment needs of Mine Action agencies on a world-wide basis. A major part
of the analytical work has been sub-contracted to Cranfield University, and the
final results will be available in summer 2000.
The Balkans Project is carried out on behalf of the European Commission on
Mine Action capabilities in the Balkans and will be completed in summer
2000.
The International Standards Project aims to review and update the
International Standards for Mine Action on behalf of UNMAS. A final draft report
is due to be sent to the UN in July 2000, and the study faces completion in
autumn 2000.
Operational Support and Assistance
The Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) is developed in
co-operation with UNMAS and is based on two modules:
The “Field Module” provides a ready-to-use tool for Mine Action
Centres, at national and regional level, to cover their data collection and
information management needs;
The “Headquarter Module” refines and collates the raw data from
the field and provides the UN with improved capabilities for decision-making
related to Mine Action. A pilot version was presented to UNMAS in April
2000.
The Field Module was first installed to Kosovo in June 1999.
To cope with the specific needs of a war/post-war situation, the module was
subsequently adapted to meet the requirements of the International Security
Force (KFOR).
To date, the Field Module is in use in Kosovo, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Chad and
Estonia. In addition, three Central Training Courses took place in Geneva and
on-site training was provided to Kosovo, Yemen, Chad, Estonia and to the U.S.
Army Engineer School. It is actually planned to install the Field Module in more
than 20 countries. The WHO as well as other organisations involved
in Mine Action are in the process of studying or adapting IMSMA for their use as
well.
Assessment Mission, Deployments and Consultancy
Staff members of the Centre participated in UN Assessment Mission to
Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia and Egypt. In addition, three staff members were
deployed to assist the UN in establishing the Mine Action Co-ordination Centre
(UNMACC) in Kosovo between June and August 1999. This engagement enabled UN to
accelerate the setting-up of Mine Action structures in a very crucial phase.
Finally, one staff member was deployed to Cambodia as Technical Advisor to a
mechanical demining project in Cambodia between March and May 2000, and
consultant work was carried out for the Croatian MAC, for the Swiss Federal
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the German Government and for the ICRC.
UNMAS Geneva Conference
The third UNMAS Geneva Conference took place between 20 and 22 March and was
highlighted by the keynote speech of Her Majesty, Queen Noor of Jordan.
Representatives of over twenty mine-affected countries, of UN agencies, NGOs and
observers attended this conference. This increasing number of participants may
show the importance and the need for such a forum in the framework of Mine
Action. Beside the focus on information exchange and interchange, the key issue
of this year’s conference was “integration” in relation to the
planning, manner and conduct of Mine Action activities in their various forms,
and this topic was successfully approached from an interactive standpoint.
Mine Ban Convention
The Centre provided the necessary organisation and
venue for meetings of the Standing Committees of Experts (SCE) within the
framework of the Mine Ban Convention (MBC) process. The aim of this
Intersessional Work is to enable the States Parties to advance Mine Action
efforts and measure achievements. Therefore, each SCE has been tasked to set up
recommendations and report to the Second Meeting of States Parties, which will
take place in Geneva between 11 and 15 September 2000.
The SCE meetings brought together representatives of States Parties,
non-States Parties, of international organisations, NGOs and various experts who
have addressed key issues of the MBC in order to ensure its effective
implementation.
The Centre has also provided technical input to the SCEs in the areas of Mine
Clearance, Victim Assistance, Stockpile Destruction and Technology. Some of the
input has been in the form of presentations of progress with existing work. In
other areas, staff members of the Centre have provided input for inter-meeting
consultations, specialist papers and the provision of technical advice.
Point of Contact
Location: 7bis, Avenue de la Paix, Geneva
(Building of the World Meteorological Organisation, WMO)
Address: (GICHD)
Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining
About Us
Our Research Products