ASEM Seminar on New Technologies for Demining and Human Security

05 Mar 2009 to 06 Mar 2009
Taranto, Italy

Background: Italy and Cambodia jointly organised an ASEM Seminar on New Technologies for Demining and Human Security, which was hosted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Taranto, Italy (5-6 March 2009). The Seminar was co-chaired by Italy and Cambodia and co-sponsored by Belgium.

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE ASEM SEMINAR ON NEW  TECHNOLOGIES FOR DEMINING AND HUMAN SECURITY

As endorsed at the ASEM 7 in Beijing on 24-25 October 2008 and at the ASEM SOM in Prague on 2-3 February 2009, Italy hosted the ASEM Seminar on New Technologies for Demining and Human Security on 5-6 March 2009 in Taranto, Italy.

2. The Seminar was attended by representatives of the ASEM members, international institutions involved in demining, non governmental and no profit organizations, companies producing technologies applicable to demining, military and civilian experts. The event included presentations by the representatives of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre; United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS);  International Test and Evaluation Program for Humanitarian Demining (ITEP); the European Commission; the Royal Military Academy of Belgium; TNO Defence, Security and Safety, The Netherlands; Snail Aid – Technology for Development; Campagna Italiana contro le Mine. Practical demonstrations of new technologies by different leading companies in the field of demining concluded the two day program of the seminar.  
 
3. The seminar was co-chaired by Italy and Cambodia and co-sponsored by Belgium.  The local authorities, namely Regione Puglia and  Provincia of Taranto, welcomed the participants at the opening session. Min. Plen. Lorenzo Angeloni, Deputy Director General of DG for Asia, Oceania, the Pacific and Antarctica at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Chum Bun Rong, Secretary General of the Cambodian Mine Action Authority,  addressed the opening session of the meeting.  The event was held at the premises of  Space Software Italia, leading designer and developer of advanced software systems for mission-critical applications in the defence, space and public administration sectors.

4. The seminar aimed at  giving an opportunity to countries affected by the problem of landmines and countries producing technologies applicable to demining to exchange views, share their experiences and lessons learnt in mine action, as well as to encourage technology producers and experts to come together focusing on innovative solutions to old problems. Measures currently being undertaken by the international community to address the world-wide landmine problem were also discussed.

5. A formal report was not produced for endorsement by the seminar participants. The following summary prepared by the Italian Chair endeavours to give an overview of the seminar on a range of technological aspects in demining issues.

6. Cambodia, in its long experience in demining, raised the interesting suggestion, taken from its National Plan, to introduce mine action as a new Millennium Development Goal. Cambodia also underscored the need to increase certainty in clearance operations. In this regard, CMAC concentrates efforts in Research and Development Activities for the development of Standard Operating Requirements (SOR), a test and evaluation plan including performance, survivability and acceptance tests. SOR should be, in fact, integrated with analysis of the environmental factors such as the type of soil, the presence of iron or minerals in the area or infrastructural factors like the size of bridges. The Cambodian interventions touched also upon such difficulties as the heavy vegetation and the rainy seasons, typical of South East Asia, as well as new challenges posed by climate change. These require that the equipment used should be environment friendly and cost effective and the deployment of specific tools should be focusing on technical aspects rather than political ones. Considering that, albeit  committed to the Mine Ban Convention, 46% of its villages and 45% of its population is still affected by the problem, Cambodia may need an extension of the time set by the Ottawa Convention in order to clear 100% of the territory.

7. The use of specific technologies and equipment entails the necessity of independent testing, which is imperative, which in turn should be implemented under a framework of standard testing procedures. In this regard, ITEP emerged as an important network for the evaluation of methodologies and tools, since it follows CWA (CEN Workshop Agreement) standards to test mechanical equipment, allowing a confrontation of similar technologies on 30 different parameters tested in lab or in experimental mine fields: pre test conditions, pre test assessment, performance test, survivability tests and acceptance tests.

8. More than once, the debate touched on whether the main responsibility for demining should rest on the affected countries or responsibilities should be shared within the international community. The contention was defended that solutions have to be found following different ratios: political, economic, social, technological, legal, labour and environment (PESTLLE).

9. The European Commission presented the new guidelines for requesting financing: countries asking for funds from the EC should indicate in the Country Strategic Paper (CSP) that Mine Action is a priority, otherwise funding cannot be allocated on demining projects. These should, therefore, not  stand per se but be included in wider programmes, ranging from development to health. In this way, demining bridges specific and individual projects within wider development programmes.

10. Practical experiences of experts studying different solutions such as the use of genetically modified plants, various types of magnets, bees, ultra sound, heat, neutrons, long range explosive detectors etc., enriched the seminar and gave the opportunity to different actors (governments affected by mines, technology producers, representatives of civil society etc.) voicing different needs, to meet and share their experiences and knowledge in order to achieve a common goal: zero casualties by landmines.

11. The seminar focused mainly on operational demining solutions, underlining advantages and disadvantages of the currently used technologies and evaluating innovative alternatives. These ranged from the use of basic agricultural machinery, modified in order to be used in demining activities (hence reducing the costs and with high involvement of the local population), to minimizing the use of human element in mine action, thanks to the use of robots that interact like a swarm of insects,  mutually compensating for respective failures (swarming technology).

12. Some constructive corridor discussion, stimulated by the plenary presentations, support the merit of promoting in the future new opportunities, like the Taranto event, for exchanges among different actors, bridging between Government and civil society, administration and private sector.

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