DIGITALISING THE INTERNATIONAL AMMUNITION TECHNICAL GUIDELINES (IATG) FOR INTERNATIONAL USE
Through its Ammunition Management Advisory Team (AMAT), the GICHD will implement a project to database the IATG and make them available to the public through a digital web-based application. Databasing the 11 volumes and 42 modules of the IATG will allow easy navigation of content relevant to each user, including practical guidance on how to apply the IATG and find the required information quickly and easily. The project, assisted by curated machine learning, will also translate the entire contents of the IATG into Arabic, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian. The anticipated longer-term outcome of the digital database and its web interface will be the increased accessibility of the IATG and their instant availability in six languages, thus supporting the implementation of the guidelines hence facilitating safer and more secure ammunition management.
KEY CONCEPTS IN NATIONAL MINE ACTION STANDARDS (NMAS)
In the coming year, the GICHD will increase efforts in support of improved NMAS content. Given the importance of national standards as the foundations for safety, quality and efficiency in national mine action programmes, investment in ensuring that NMAS are of the highest quality possible is extremely worthwhile and will pay dividends globally in terms of safety and efficiency. Building on previous work in Afghanistan and SouthEast Asia, and based on the global guidance codified in the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), specific themes such as risk management and liability and related concepts such as ‘all reasonable effort’ will be looked at in detail and so that their application can be tailored appropriately to specific national operational environments. In this context, issues such as the need to define clear criteria for releasing land (at the stage of survey and clearance) and the establishment of procedures for addressing missed mines and other explosive ordnance, have been identified by NMAAs as areas that pose particular challenges to the effective management of their field operations. The GICHD will continue to engage with a number of countries to help them develop country specific NMAS and other guidance in support of land release and other processes.
Thai Mission © NPA photos
8 GICHD OUTLOOK REPORT 2022 | GICHD OUTLO K REPORT 202 |
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