Geneva International Centre For Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) works
towards a world free of anti-personnel landmines and for the reduction of the
humanitarian impact of remnants of war by providing operational assistance,
creating and sharing knowledge, and supporting instruments of international
law.
The GICHD is an independent and impartial organisation. It was established in
1998 on a Swiss initiative and is now supported by the Governments of Austria,
Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy,
Japan, México, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom, the United States of America, and the Republic and Canton of Geneva.
The Centre has particularly close working relations with the United Nations.
The Centre currently consists of 31 permanent staff members, including five
persons seconded by the Governments of France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and
the UK. In total, twelve nationalities are present at the Centre.
Activities in 2003-2004 Operational Assistance
One of the Centre’s core missions consists
in providing specific operational support and assistance to on-going or emerging
mine action activities and programmes mainly run by the UN. The Centre is active
in the fields of information management, standardisation, the provision of
technical assistance and training, evaluation, and the facilitation of
discussions by providing relevant fora.
In the field of information management, the GICHD develops and disseminates
the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), which is in use in 37
mine-affected countries. The Centre has also developed a tool that facilitates
the exchange of data between the different actors in mine action; it runs
training courses which integrate planning and management aspects into
information management; and it has started the creation of a light and easy to
use data entry tool based on off-the-shelves hand-held computer technology.
On behalf of UNMAS, the Centre prepares and updates the International
Standards for Mine Action (IMAS). One of the benefits of IMAS is the fact that
they facilitate a systematic lessons learned process which increases performance
and security in mine action. The work of the GICHD in the area of IMAS makes it
a repository of mine action know-how.
The Centre also offers its services to governments and interested
organisations to evaluate projects and programmes. In addition, it provides
technical assistance and training for specific programmes to governments,
international organisations such as the ICRC, NATO, the European Commission, and
various NGOs. The training programme can be found on www.gichd.ch.
Research Activities
The GICHD has continued to develop strategies and procedures for mine action,
with the aim of improving quality and making mine action safer and more
cost-effective. It uses its expertise in research to produce accurate,
impartial, objective and detailed studies. The results of such studies are
transformed into specific recommendations and guidelines for dissemination to
the field, backed up by practical instruments like field demonstrations,
workshops, training courses, guides, handbooks, and software tools.
The GICHD undertakes a whole set of research projects to improve operational
use of animals, mainly dogs and rats. These animals have an important potential
in reducing areas perceived as being mined in a fast and efficient way. Other
key topics of the Centre’s research activities are both manual and
mechanical demining, where several projects aim at increasing the efficiency and
cost-effectiveness of such techniques and equipment. In addition, the Centre
runs several projects in the field of socio-economic impacts of mines and in the
field of mine risk education.
The following publications became available during the reporting period:
A Guide to Improving Communications in MRE Programmes (ISBN
2-88487-022-9)
A Guide to Insurance for Mine Action Operators (ISBN 2-88487-033-4)
A Guide to Mine Action (ISBN 2-88487-021-0, also available in French,
Russian and Spanish)
A Guide to the IMAS – IMAS 2003 & MRE (ISBN 2-88487-027-X)
A Study of Mechanical Application in Demining (ISBN 2-88487-023-7)
Mine Detection Dogs: Training, Operations and Odour Detection (ISBN
2-88487-007-5)
The Development of National Mine Action Legislation – A Guide (ISBN
2-88487-014-8, also available in Arabic, French, Russian and Spanish)
The Role of the Military in Mine Action (ISBN
2-88487-013-X)
These publications are available on the Centre’s homepage (www.gichd.ch) or can be obtained from the GICHD
in hard copy.
Support for the Implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
(“Ottawa Convention”)
In September 2001, the States Parties to the Convention mandated the GICHD to
establish an Implementation Support Unit (ISU). This unit provides a variety of
services to the Presidency and the Co-ordinating Committee of the States Parties
and has established a documentation and resource database facility on the
Convention and the negotiations leading to its signature.
The GICHD also hosts the meetings of the Standing Committees within the
intersessional work programme of the Convention. These meetings bring together
representatives of States Parties, non-States Parties, international
organisations, NGOs and other experts in order to ensure effective
implementation and to report to the States Parties. The Centre also provides
technical input to theses activities, mainly in the areas of mine clearance,
victim’s assistance, stockpile destruction and technology.
Finally, the Centre administers a Sponsorship Programme on behalf of a Group
of Donors, which allows selected delegates from less developed and/or
mine-affected countries to participate at the implementation work of the States
Parties.
Point of Contact:
Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining
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