Vietnam

In 2023, Vietnam adopted the National Mine Action Plan for 2023–25. NGOs completed technical survey (TS) of all accessible areas of explosive ordnance contamination in Quang Tri province. The Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) started discussions with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) on upgrading the national Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database.

Vietnam has progressively strengthened management of the mine action sector. A new mine action decree issued in 2019 and followed by a more detailed Guiding Circular gave VNMAC a clear mandate and responsibilities and provided a legal basis for the revision and updating of national mine action regulations and standards (QCVNs and TCVNs, respectively). Revised QCVNs were issued in 2022 but TCVNs remain under review. VNMAC approved new regulations for a national information management system providing a framework for setting up data management structures in all 63 provinces and 7 military regions of Vietnam. The main focus of Vietnam’s mine action programme, however, remains survey and clearance of explosive remnants of war (ERW) rather than the release of mined areas, which are prevalent along Vietnam’s borders.

• Vietnam should accede to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) as soon as possible.
• Vietnam should publish a detailed assessment of areas known or suspected to be contaminated by anti-personnel (AP) mines.
• Vietnam should report annually on survey, clearance, or explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) interventions targeting landmines, including comprehensive national data detailing explosive ordnance found and destroyed, disaggregated by device type.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2024" report for Vietnam.