Introduction to Victim AssistanceIntroduction to Victim Assistance

AN OBLIGATION AND AN OPPORTUNITY

H bernard LAOS 2013

ARE YOU “VA” USER-FRIENDLY OR NEW ARE YOU “VA” USER-FRIENDLY OR NEW

What are the 5 pillars of mine Action What are the 5 pillars of mine Action What are the six internationally recognized What are the six internationally recognized

key elements of VA?key elements of VA? What ERW means ?What ERW means ? What JBR means ? What JBR means ?

MINE ACTIONMINE ACTION

Ban production and trade Ban production and trade Stock destruction Stock destruction ClearanceClearance Risk educationRisk education VA !!VA !!

Introduction to VAIntroduction to VA

Standard legal definitionStandard legal definition Data collectionData collection Emergency and ongoing medical careEmergency and ongoing medical care RehabilitationRehabilitation Psychological and psycho social supportPsychological and psycho social support Socio economic inclusionSocio economic inclusion Laws and policiesLaws and policies

CCM article 5 definition of VACCM article 5 definition of VA

Affected States shall:Affected States shall:

Provide of age- and gender-sensitive Provide of age- and gender-sensitive assistance, including medical care, rehabilitation assistance, including medical care, rehabilitation and psychological support, as well as provide for and psychological support, as well as provide for their social and economic inclusion by affected their social and economic inclusion by affected statesstates

States with more than 100 States with more than 100 minemine//ERW casualties in 2010 ?ERW casualties in 2010 ?

Pakistan - Pakistan - Cambodia -Cambodia -

Iran - Iran - Somalia - Somalia - Lao PDR Lao PDR Myanmar Myanmar

Afghanistan – Afghanistan – Colombia -Colombia -

- - - -

States with more than 100 States with more than 100 minemine//ERW casualties in 2010ERW casualties in 2010

1.1. Afghanistan - 1211Afghanistan - 12112.2. Colombia - 512Colombia - 5123.3. Pakistan - 394Pakistan - 3944.4. Cambodia - 286Cambodia - 2865.5. Myanmar - 274Myanmar - 274

6.6. Iran - 158Iran - 1587.7. Somalia - 154Somalia - 154

8.8. Lao PDR - 117Lao PDR - 117

Knowing your stuffKnowing your stuff1.1. All mine/ERW survivors are also mine/ERW victimsAll mine/ERW survivors are also mine/ERW victims2.2. All mine/ERW victims are also mine/ERW survivorsAll mine/ERW victims are also mine/ERW survivors3.3. All mine/ERW victims are persons with disabilitiesAll mine/ERW victims are persons with disabilities4.4. All mine/ERW survivors are persons with All mine/ERW survivors are persons with

disabilitiesdisabilities5.5. Families of people killed are not considered Families of people killed are not considered

mine/ERW victimsmine/ERW victims******

6.6. Victim assistance only benefits mine/ERW victimsVictim assistance only benefits mine/ERW victims

Mine/ERW VictimMine/ERW Victim An An person person who has been killed or injured by a who has been killed or injured by a mine/explosive remnant of war (ERW) explosion, as mine/explosive remnant of war (ERW) explosion, as well as affectedwell as affected families and communitiesfamilies and communities who suffer who suffer emotional, social, and financial lossemotional, social, and financial loss

Mine/ERW Survivor Mine/ERW Survivor An An person person who has been injured by awho has been injured by amine/ERW explosion and hasmine/ERW explosion and hassurvived the accidentsurvived the accident

Victim Victim versus versus SurvivorSurvivor

Victim assistance is guided by Victim assistance is guided by three international conventionsthree international conventions

- Mine Ban Treaty (MBT)- Mine Ban Treaty (MBT)

- Convention of Cluster Munitions (CCM)- Convention of Cluster Munitions (CCM)

- Convention of the Rights of Persons with - Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)Disabilities (CRPD)

What is Victim Assistance?What is Victim Assistance?

Victim assistance is a set of activities and strategies Victim assistance is a set of activities and strategies aimed to ensure inclusion of mine/ERW victims, their aimed to ensure inclusion of mine/ERW victims, their families, and mine-affected communitiesfamilies, and mine-affected communities

Victim assistance benefits victims of landmines and Victim assistance benefits victims of landmines and explosive remnants of war and other persons with explosive remnants of war and other persons with disabilitiesdisabilities

Non-discriminationNon-discrimination

“…“…..the call to assist landmine/ERW the call to assist landmine/ERW victims victims should notshould not lead to victim lead to victim assistance efforts being undertaken in assistance efforts being undertaken in such a manner as to such a manner as to excludeexclude any any person injured or disabled in another person injured or disabled in another manner.”manner.”

HI’s Historical involvement in Victim HI’s Historical involvement in Victim AssistanceAssistance

1982 – 19901982 – 1990

1991 – 19971991 – 1997

1998 – 20041998 – 2004

2005 – 20092005 – 2009

2010 – present2010 – present

HI works in different ways to HI works in different ways to advance the inclusion of survivorsadvance the inclusion of survivors

From access to services to researches

Micro and macro level

I. Access to and provision of I. Access to and provision of services for survivors and PWDservices for survivors and PWD

Health (emergency and ongoing medical care)Health (emergency and ongoing medical care) RehabilitationRehabilitation Psychological supportPsychological support Adequate standards of living and social protectionAdequate standards of living and social protection EducationEducation Work and employmentWork and employment

II. Capacity building to improve II. Capacity building to improve national level coordination and national level coordination and

delivery of VAdelivery of VA

III. Advocacy in the international III. Advocacy in the international and national arena to remove and national arena to remove societal barriers to inclusionsocietal barriers to inclusion

Relevance of VA for HI TodayRelevance of VA for HI Today

Work in more countries and across more Work in more countries and across more thematic areas than any other organization thematic areas than any other organization

Stay true to MBT effortsStay true to MBT efforts Raise issue of disability Raise issue of disability Capitalize on fundingCapitalize on funding Complies with HI mandate and strategic Complies with HI mandate and strategic

plan for 2015plan for 2015

Questions? THANK YOU Questions? THANK YOU