IMAS/ NMAS Technical Working Group Meeting for ADS in Survey and Clearance
Animals have been used for centuries as a detection tool. Today, their use for odour detection is widespread, encompassing applications relevant to the military, the police, border control, health, emergency response, humanitarian aid, environmental management, and more. With respect to use of animals for explosives detection, the central issue is not capability, but confidence. Any tool used for explosives detection must operate at consistently high detection rates, and obtaining reliable detection is the key issue addressed through training systems. The use of animals in mine action have been on a steady decline since 2008.
This technical working group meeting (TWGM) is jointly organized by the GICHD and NPA.
Funding support for this workshop is provided by GFFO and NMFA.
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00Objective
Mine action is at a critical junction in its evolution. While Mine Action is currently facing a dramatic increase in victims and yet a downward trend in funding, its main actors are facing rapidly changing working contexts. New and protracted conflicts, urban and rural areas with mixed contamination, including improvised explosive devices, as well as challenging security situations are calling for enhanced methods of action. Combining various sets of knowledge and experience will be key to providing holistic, adequate and effective responses. IMAS for animal detection systems is currently undergoing a revision. This will be discussed during this meeting. New standards, IMAS and NMAS, for technical survey is necessary to deliver clear quality management concepts and principles that have the capacity to meet challenges presented by an environment that is significantly different from recent decades.
This TWGM calls on partners that are willing to share and contribute towards development of standards, methods and technology for animal detection system. Mine action partners (operators, researchers, developers and other stakeholders) are welcomed to contribute and participate during this TWGM.
00Program and Method
The TWGM will take place over 2.5 days. It will comprise of lectures and presentations by the GICHD, NPA and other keynote speakers. Invited NMAAs and mine action organisations are encouraged to present case studies and/or ADS trials to enhance survey and clearance methods.
00Participants
Presenters will receive guidelines on how to deliver material upon acceptance as a presenter. Upon registering for the TWGM, you will receive an invitation to present. To be able to review and prepare your presentation material in advance the organizer would like you to submit your material no later than 1 November 2017 including an abstract based on your speaker notes and PowerPoint presentation.
Information about visa and visa assistance will be provided by Gordana Medunjanin, GTC Operations manager, email: gordanam(at)npaid.org