A Message from the Director

This article is brought to you by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) from issue 28.3 of The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction available on the JMU Scholarly Commons and Issuu.com.

This summer has been a busy time for the CISR team. In August, I traveled to Tajikistan with faculty from the James Madison University College of Business to launch a new partnership with the Regional Explosive Hazards Training Center in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Programme Office, Dushanbe, with funding support from the US Department of State. More recently, I participated in the Humanitarian Demining Innovation and Technology Summit in the United Kingdom where experienced practitioners and technology specialists engaged in innovative problem-solving and information exchange. Also, CISR program staff, Amy Czajkowski and Adrienne Harman-Griggs, attended PeaceCon 2024 at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., and CISR Managing Editor, Jennifer Risser, attended the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining’s (GICHD) Innovation Session on Artificial Intelligence Applications in Mine Action.

In this issue of The Journal, we feature:

• John Stevens and Harry “Murf” McCloy, officials from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the US Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), share about their wealth of experience in humanitarian mine action (HMA). You will not want to miss these interviews.

• Christelle Mestre (GICHD) examines current funding practices for the environment in mine action, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships, donor awareness, and national mine action strategies, all within a holistic approach to the broader impact of HMA.

• “Innovative Finance for Mine Action: Needs and Potential Solutions” by Danielle Payne (GICHD), Camille Wallen, and Chris Loughran (Symbio Impact Ltd) highlights critical innovative funding needs in mine action amid emerging and protracted conflicts and the increased use of improvised devices by non-state armed groups.

• The Explosive Weapons Trauma Care Collective (EXTRACCT) presents an overview of its approach to reduce death and disability among civilian victims of explosive weapons and ordnance, emphasizing the importance of point-of-injury care for civilians as well as collaboration between mine action and emergency care services in low-resource settings.

• Rory Collins (United Nations Office for Special Project Services (UNOPS)), Lionel Fragniere (Swiss Armed Forces International Command), and Mateo Dulce Rubio (Carnegie Mellon University) discuss the initiatives taken by UNOPS Peace and Security Cluster in developing a mapping tool in Gaza, the application of Natural Language Processing for improvised explosive device data management globally, and the use of remote sensing and machine learning technologies in Afghanistan and Syria.

• Edward Crowther and Natalia Shepel (United Nations Development Programme Ukraine) present findings from their Phase II testing of unmanned aerial vehicles/sensor systems for mine action in Ukraine. Involving Ukrainian and international organizations, their results demonstrate that integrating technologies to detect explosive remnants of war (ERW) could enhance traditional demining methods.

• Kiengkay Ounmany from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Community Education Development reviews Lao PDR’s national unexploded ordnance capacity over the past three decades, identifying potential improvements in the areas of financial and information management, strategic planning, and quality management.

• Senior Lieutenant Perederii (National Police of Ukraine), Tony Salvo, and Drew Prater (Bomb Techs Without Borders) provide an update on Version 6.0 of the Basic Identification of Ammunition in Ukraine.

• Vaghinak Sargsyan from the Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise in Armenia evaluates the impact of landmine and ERW contamination on Armenia’s pastoral, arable, and forested lands, detailing its effects on civilians, the environment, and development.

We are looking forward to working with contributors on our 29th volume of The Journal, and in spending time with our colleagues at various upcoming events. As presented throughout this issue’s articles, in this time of uncertainty and ongoing conflict, we acknowledge and reflect on the vital importance of discussion, information sharing, and strategically looking ahead as we navigate the many facets of the evolving sector that is mine action.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Fiederlein