This document establishes a Five Strategic Plan for the Cambodian Mine Action Centre covering the period 2003-2007. This plan is in line with the Royal Government policy of poverty reduction and Five Years Socio-Economic Plan, which also included CMAC’s activities. This document provides a clear vision and mission for CMAC and also outlines broad goals for CMAC in general, and sets specific objectives for each identified goal. These objectives will be revised and developed on a yearly basis as required, through an opened and wide range of consultation. The CMAC Five Year Strategic Plan is a rolling plan for CMAC activities in the future; thereby it should be a living document, which is guidance for CMAC management, all key players and partners.

As a legacy of various conflicts over the last thirty years or so, both within and outside its borders, the Kingdom of Cambodia became one of the most heavily landmine/UXO-contaminated countries in the world.

With close to 900 casualties recorded in year 2001, and despite some success in casualty reduction performance, Cambodia continues to suffer the highest rate of civilian land mine/UXO casualties in the world.

The recently completed National Level One Survey (conducted in all the 24 province) has revealed that today over 46% of Cambodian villages (or 6,422 villages) - particularly in the north west provinces of the country where the internally displaced persons and war refugees have been resettled since 1993 - are contaminated by land mines and UXO’s. As such, the situation today appears to be worse than that originally estimated in 1993, when clearance operations first started. Areas suspected as contaminated are in 3,037 locations and total to 4,466 square kilometres. In addition, the survey has identified 11,280 EOD tasks spread out all over Cambodia.

Mine contamination has a great socio-economic impact on the life of the rural population as indicated in the charts and table below.