COUNTRY FOCUSED APPROACH, UKRAINE
iii. the definition of related actions. The data-driven mapping of areas where landmines and other EO have been reported creates the foundation for effective and efficient humanitarian demining operations.
Ukraine was one of the most EO-affected countries in the world, even prior to the current conflict, with the highest casualties rate in Europe in 2021. 4 Pre-2022 casualties stemmed from legacy contamination and contamination caused by the conflict in the Donbas in 2014-15. One year after the escalation of the conflict, ongoing hostilities have resulted in further heavy contamination in many parts of the country. Between 24 February 2022 and 9 April 2023, OHCHR recorded over 750 confirmed civilian casualties from mines and explosive remnants of war alone. It recorded a further 20,000 casualties caused by explosive weapons. 5 The GICHD has been working with national authorities in Ukraine to increase national-level capacity since 2012, making it well placed to intensify support after the escalation of the conflict. The Centre’s relationship with Ukraine enables it to provide its expertise towards supporting the expansion of the sector and providing the Ukrainian national authorities with extra skills to meet the new challenges they face. In 2022, support to Ukraine was scaled-up to meet the increased demand, including recruiting a dedicated Ukrainian country programme staff in Switzerland as well as Ukrainian experts who work full time from Kyiv. The GICHD also designed and launched a series of initiatives to provide support to mine action efforts, as follows: T Support for enhancing and maintaining IMSMA to enable i. the aggregation, interpretation and sharing of data across partners and sources, ii. the mapping of areas where threats exist and
representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the State Emergency Service and the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. The workshop was an incubator for practical solutions, action points and next steps toward addressing key operational challenges in a cooperative manner and based on local needs. It explored new avenues to implement mine action coordination efforts to eventually, serve as a catalyst to positively impact the lives of Ukrainian communities. The results included an agreed series of operational actions and next steps which are being monitored by the GICHD. The Centre remains committed to supporting mine action in Ukraine and will continue consolidating its country programme there throughout the next strategic period 2023-2026.
T Publication of ‘Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine’ (see page 7).
T Working via the EORE Advisory Group including experts from the GICHD, UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs, the GICHD helped develop and translate a Ukraine-focused EORE Q&A Fact Sheet. The factsheet, published in March, provides guidance on EORE for organisations responding to the crisis in Ukraine. In consultation with national authorities, the GICHD amended its approach to technical training, ensuring that all thematic courses were delivered inside Ukraine, tailored to the context and taught in the Ukrainian language. Towards the end of 2022, the GICHD conducted bespoke training courses in QM and NTS. The GICHD facilitated a donor coordination workshop on mine action in Ukraine, which was held in Switzerland in 2022. The event was attended by 76 representatives of the Ukrainian authorities, donors and partners and was opened by the Ukrainian Minister of Defence and Chair of the NMAA. The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs was also in attendance, along with other high-level
4 Landmine Monitor 2021, accessed April 17, 2023, http://www.the-monitor.org/media/3318354/Landmine-Monitor-2021-Web.pdf. 5 OHCHR, ‘Ukraine civilian casualty update’, April 10, 2023, accessed April 17, 2023, https://ukraine.un.org/en/227023-ukraine-civilian-casualties-9-april-2023.
36 GICHD PERFORMANCE REPORT 2022 |
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