Swiss Foundation for Mine Action
Encyclopedia
The Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) is a Swiss non-governmental organisation. "FSD" stands for Fondation Suisse de Déminage, the French name of the organisation). FSD is politically, ideologically and religiously independent. FSD is based in Geneva
and operates a logistical and administrative support office in Manila
. From 2005 FSD was joined by its French partner FSD France, and from 2007 by CROSSTECH SA, a mine action company which is fully owned by the FSD.
to prevent accidents. FSD’s overarching aim is to alleviate and diminish the social, economic and environmental impacts of landmines and unexploded ordnance, thus creating favourable conditions for the reconstruction and development of war-torn countries.
, Tajikistan
, Sri Lanka
and Laos
, as well as Sudan
and Burundi
. Previously, FSD has intervened in Bosnia
, Croatia
, Kosovo
, Albania
, Afghanistan
, Iraq
, Pakistan
, the Philippines
, Angola
, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere.
FSD intervenes typically in three different contexts:
Landmines and other explosive remnants of war often hamper the mobility of government officials, politicians, election officials, returnees, and relief and development agency personnel. Landmines obstruct the peace-building stages of post-war societies and thereby exacerbate the threat of a return to violent conflict.
National elections are another important factor in reconciling post-conflict countries. Governments need legitimacy and want as many voters as possible to show up at voting centres. Many voters, however, can only participate once they have safe access to voting centres.
organisations, like in Sudan
where the programme is supported by UN MAO (United Nations
Mine Action Organisation) and CHF International, or in Tajikistan
where the funding is coordinated through OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe). In 2007, FSD was also funded by ECHO
for the clearance of cluster bombs in southern Lebanon
. Other major donors include World Food Programme
, the United Nations Office for Project Services
, the United Nations Mine Action Service
, the United Nations Development Programme
, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
, the governments of Australia
, United States of America, Canada
, Japan
, Switzerland
, Germany
, Austria
, Taiwan
and South Korea
, Swiss cantons and cities, foundations and private donators.
As a foundation under Swiss law, the FSD operates under the supervision of the Swiss federal authorities. Its accounts are audited by KPMG which took over from PricewaterhouseCoopers starting in 2007. The FSD has held the ZEWO quality label certifying its reliability since 2003.
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and operates a logistical and administrative support office in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. From 2005 FSD was joined by its French partner FSD France, and from 2007 by CROSSTECH SA, a mine action company which is fully owned by the FSD.
Mission
FSD's focus is on locating and destroying landmines and unexploded ordnanceUnexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...
to prevent accidents. FSD’s overarching aim is to alleviate and diminish the social, economic and environmental impacts of landmines and unexploded ordnance, thus creating favourable conditions for the reconstruction and development of war-torn countries.
World-wide operation
In 2007, FSD has led demining operations in LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, as well as Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
. Previously, FSD has intervened in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere.
FSD intervenes typically in three different contexts:
During armed conflicts
Humanitarian aid is often the only lifeline for thousands of people struggling to survive. Professional delivery of humanitarian assistance, access to aid recipients, and safety for aid workers are essential prerequisites. FSD provides mine action expertise and assistance to partner organisations and other humanitarian actors as emergency humanitarian operations are planned an implemented.During the transitional and recovery phase after an armed conflict
A priority for governments and non-state actors emerging from violent conflict is to build confidence so that peace can be sustained. This means that national authorities and aid agencies need to repatriate refugees and to extend humanitarian assistance and government services into former conflict areas.Landmines and other explosive remnants of war often hamper the mobility of government officials, politicians, election officials, returnees, and relief and development agency personnel. Landmines obstruct the peace-building stages of post-war societies and thereby exacerbate the threat of a return to violent conflict.
National elections are another important factor in reconciling post-conflict countries. Governments need legitimacy and want as many voters as possible to show up at voting centres. Many voters, however, can only participate once they have safe access to voting centres.
During development phases
Landmines and other explosive remnants of war continue to threaten, maim and kill indiscriminately long after hostilities have ended. Landmines impede post-conflict reconstruction and economic development. Mine clearance is required before fields can be planted, drinking water can be made available, and schools can be built.Sources of funds
Major sources of financing are public and private funds, but also multi-lateralMultilateralism
Multilateralism is a term in international relations that refers to multiple countries working in concert on a given issue.International organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization are multilateral in nature...
organisations, like in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
where the programme is supported by UN MAO (United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Mine Action Organisation) and CHF International, or in Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
where the funding is coordinated through OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe). In 2007, FSD was also funded by ECHO
ECHO (European Commission)
The Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission , formerly known as the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office, is the European Commission's department for overseas humanitarian aid...
for the clearance of cluster bombs in southern Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Other major donors include World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
, the United Nations Office for Project Services
United Nations Office for Project Services
The United Nations Office for Project Services , is dedicated to implementing projects for the United Nations System, international financial institutions, governments and other partners in the aid world...
, the United Nations Mine Action Service
United Nations Mine Action Service
United Nations Mine Action Service is located in the It is responsible for ensuring an effective, proactive and coordinated United Nations response to landmines and explosive remnants of war through collaboration with 13 other UN departments, agencies, funds and programmes...
, the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
, the governments of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, United States of America, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Swiss cantons and cities, foundations and private donators.
As a foundation under Swiss law, the FSD operates under the supervision of the Swiss federal authorities. Its accounts are audited by KPMG which took over from PricewaterhouseCoopers starting in 2007. The FSD has held the ZEWO quality label certifying its reliability since 2003.