Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has suggested the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) continue to help victims of bombs and mines in Vietnam so that they can better integrate into society.

Meeting with Ambassador Stephan Husy, GICHD Director, in Hanoi on March 26, Nhan asked the centre to improve the capacity for social activists and implement research programmes and apply advanced measures to assist bomb and mine victims.

He said he hopes that the two sides will strengthen partnership in surmounting the aftermaths of bombs, mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left by the war as well as in designing strategies to mobilise and manage resources.

The Deputy PM spoke highly of GICHD cooperation in implementing specific tasks in the national action programme on overcoming bomb and mine aftermaths in Vietnam through technical assistance and capacity improvement activities in building national norms in the field.

He noted that GICHD has provided Vietnam with a data base management software and helped train Vietnamese officials in Geneva while giving consultations to the country in building plans to call for international funding for the national action programme.

Besides, the centre also helped Vietnam speed up the process of joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions, he added.

Ambassador Husy affirmed that his organisation will do its utmost together with Vietnam’s relevant agencies to effectively implement signed agreements.

On March 27, GICHD and the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding on overcoming bomb and mine consequences in Vietnam.