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The opening ceremony was under the patronage of Dr. Mohammad Halaiqa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade and it included speeches by Ms. Hala Lattouf, Secretary-General, deputizing H.E. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation. Other speakers were Ms. Christine McNab, UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Ian Mansfield, Operations Director of GICHD, General Director of NCDR a de-miner and one of the mine victims.

This is the first regional workshop to be based on “A Study of Socio-Economic Approaches to Mine Action” undertaken by GICHD for UNDP. It had brought together representatives from 6 Arab countries Yemen, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq and Jordan. The sessions will include applying social and economic analysis to mine action planning, linking mine action to broader national development and poverty reduction plans, priority setting and “lost benefit analysis”.

“In Jordan as in the other countries represented at this workshop, the mining problem is a serious public safety concern, and it is an economic challenge to the country as a whole” said Christine McNab, UNDP Resident Representative. She added that in Jordan “landmines not only pose an immediate threat to the safety of the local communities, but they pose also a significant economic impact by denying access to large areas of high-potential agricultural land in Jordan. In certain areas mines are considered as a major obstacle to the growth of the tourism industry”.

Jordan has suffered for more than 50 years from the 300 000 mines planted for defensive and security reasons in its lands particularly in North and West Jordan, has initiated a comprehensive programme in 1993 and was among the first countries who signed the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention in 1999. NCDR was established in 2000 as a separate national commission responsible for the removal of mines, implementation of a public awareness campaign, rehabilitation of landmine survivors, promoting relationships with international NGO’s and institutes and diplomatic corps and drawing up plans and integrating them with developmental plans.

Mine action is not so much about landmines as it is about people and their interaction with mine-affected environment. Major Engineer Abdulelah al Hazaimeh from the Royal Engineers Corps, an anti-personal mine survivor, when recalling his accident, stressed the importance of removing all landmines and the importance of rehabilitating all survivors medically and reintegrating them socially and economically, he added “Survivors don’t need a look of sympathy but they need hope and support”.

UNDP addresses the landmine problem from a long term development perspective. It assists governments in building sustainable national and local capacities to address the socio economic consequences of landmine contamination. Today, UNDP provides mine action support to twenty-five countries world wide.