On 1st February 2018, two-days training on survey techniques and presentation of Standard Operational Procedures (SOP), as a preparation activity before implementation of Project “Country Assessment on Mine Suspected Areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina” started at Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina barracks in Rajlovac, Sarajevo. The training was organized for 14 Non-technical Survey Teams comprised of experienced operational staff from all BHMAC regional offices, Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Norwegian People`s Aid. In opening speech, Sasa Obradovic, BHMAC Acting Director, welcomed all training participants, emphasizing the importance of the implementation of this Project and wishing to all a successful upcoming work. Darvin Lisica, NPA Regional director for SEE introduced participants to the Project and its overall objective, focusing on survey techniques and presentation of SOP for Country Assessment. During this training, participants will be tasked to work on improving of SOP as an introduction for upcoming two-weeks training, planned on the beginning of Project implementation.

On 22nd January 2018, NPA started with clearance and technical survey on task Malo polje, municipality of Mostar. Area of operations covers 20,267 m2 of cluster suspected hazardous areas. In the previous period several mine accidents were reported, so this municipality is considered as area of high risk. Clearance and technical survey operations will create safe environment for the local population, safe use of agricultural land and reconstruction of infrastructure. NPA activities on “Malo Polje” are supported by Coop Norge SA.

On 16th January 2018, on the second day of continuation of clearance and technical survey with systematic investigation on MSP “Orah”, NPA manual demining team found 2 pieces of antipersonnel mines type PMR-2A on task SI-5 “Timun”. This indicates that the task area is heavily contaminated, mostly with antipersonnel mines PMR-2A and PMA-2. NPA activities on MSP “Orah” are implemented within the Project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

On 15th January 2018 NPA continued with clearance and technical survey with systematic investigation on two tasks, CI-5 “Obradove doline” and SI-5 “Timun” engaging two manual demining teams. Those two tasks are part of MSP “Orah” in municipality of Ravno, which covers in total 1,972 km2 of mine suspected hazardous areas. Clearance and technical survey operations will create safe environment for the local population, safe use of agricultural land and reconstruction of infrastructure. NPA activities on MSP “Orah” are implemented within the Project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

For the third year in a row NPA participated at the Diplomatic Winter Bazaar an annual fund-raising event sponsored and organized through the united effort of the diplomatic and international communities in Bosnia Herzegovina held on December 9th. All proceeds go to children’s charities in BiH. It was our honor to attend this very important event where out both with the demining equipment and our dogs attracted interest from many visitors.

On 5th December 2017 Haris Lokvančić, Programme Officer/Political Advisor from Embassy of Switzerland in Bosnia and Herzegovina, accompanied by Goran Šehić, NPA BiH Deputy Programme Manager, visited NPA on-going clearance and technical survey operations on task MSP “Orah”, municipality of Ravno. During this visit, NPA introduced Haris Lokvančić with current progress on task, focusing on the results achieved during technical survey with targeted investigation conducted through January and February 2017, when 42 mines were found and safely destroyed. Continuation of NPA activities on MSP “Orah”, implemented within the Project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, will have a great impact on local population in municipality of Ravno, creating preconditions for safe use of agricultural land and reconstruction of infrastructure.

On 4th December 2017, NPA started with clearance and technical survey with systematic investigation on task MSP “Orah”, municipality of Ravno. Area of operations covers 1,972 km2 of mine suspected hazardous areas. Evidences shows that area is heavily contaminated with mines, mostly with PMR-2A and PMA-2 antipersonnel mines. In the previous period several mine accidents were reported. Clearance and technical survey operations will create safe environment for the local population, safe use of agricultural land and reconstruction of infrastructure. NPA activities on MSP “Orah” are implemented within the Project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Today, Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) Humanitarian Disarmament Programme in BiH and NPA Global Training Centre for Mine Detection Dogs (GTC) hosted delegation of the Provincial Legacy of War Coordination Centre (LWCC) in Quang Tri province, Vietnam within multi-day study tour to learn from the experience of the BHMAC and NPA in its establishment, functionality, activities, and reporting systems. A key activity of the Coordination Center currently is planning to link Mine Action to the Socio-Economic Development Plan. Deputy Programme Manager of the NPA HDP has briefed the guest on NPA history in BiH, current and future activities and regional approach to humanitarian disarmament work in South East Europe. In the second part of the visit program after introductory words about GTC the guest were given a tour of the Centre with a detailed demonstration of the training activities including advanced methods of using demining dogs. Final presentation on Application of non-technical survey in Land Release was held by NPA Regional Director for South-East Europe.

On 29th November 2017, NPA MRE team conducted Community Mine Action Liaison as an integrated part of Land Release process on task MSP Vlasic 3 - Šišava, municipality of Travnik. NPA team, accompanied by representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre, regional office Travnik have organized a formal meeting with the representatives from Forestry Enterprise in Turbe. The meeting was held aiming to BHMAC and NPA present the information on mine presence and its negative impact on the population in the local community of Šišava. NPA MRE team identified loggers as the most vulnerable group at-risk and used this opportunity to highlight safety procedures and promote safe behavior among them. NPA activities on MSP Vlasic 3 - Šišava are implemented within the Project supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

IMAS/NMAS Technical Working Group Meeting (TWGM) for Animal Detection Systems in Survey and Clearance was held from November 14–16, 2017 in hotel Europe, Sarajevo. This TWGM is jointly organized by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and NPA. Funding support for this workshop was provided by GFFO and NMFA. The Meeting was officially opened on the November 14th with a welcome ceremony attended by representatives of the German Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and acting director BHMAC. Invited NMAAs and mine action organizations were encouraged to present case studies and/or ADS trials to enhance survey and clearance methods in order to share and contribute towards development of standards, methods and technology for animal detection system. On the second day TWGM included a visit to NPA’s Global Training Centre for Mine and Explosive Detection Dogs for a demonstration of training and operational deployment of Mine Detection Dogs. All our further actions will be dictated by Meeting conclusions highlighted on the last day of the TWGM that new standards IMAS and NMAS for technical survey is necessary to deliver clear quality management concept and principles that have capacity to meet challenges presented by an environment that is significantly different from recent decades.

On 31st of October, the NPA team for mine risk education (MRE team) implemented several multi-media presentations for children in the primary schools „Sveti Sava“ in the local communities of Karanovac and Boljanić, Doboj municipality. The NPA MRE team conducted presentations and lectures for 116 children in these two schools in order to raise the awareness and to encourage safe behaviour among identified groups at-risk. The presentations were implemented with special review on how to behave on the way to the school and how to adopt safety rules in the communities affected by mines. By this occasion, the MRE team has distributed educational material with short safety messages (MRE notebooks and posters). Mine risk education activities are implemented within the Project „Integrated Community Mine Action intervention in the region of Doboj in 2017“ financed by the Federal Republic of Germany and supported by the Kingdom of Norway.

On 27th October 2017, the new Dutch ambassador to BIH Reinout Vos accompanied by BHMAC representatives, representatives of municipalities Srebrenica, Bratunac and Zvornik and organization board "Mars mira", visited NPA on-going operations in local community Pečišta-Đogazi, where NPA held a presentation of clearance and technical survey activities at location “LZ Pečišta-Đogazi 1“, Srebrenica municipality. During visit with the Ambassador, municipality’s representatives expressed their appreciation for the support from the Dutch Government. During the visit the respected guests had the opportunity to attend presentation of manual demining and NPA deployment of MDD assets in TS and clearance operations. Also the guest had a chance to introduce themselves with results of implemented Mine Action Intervention in the Srebrenica region 2014-2016 and released areas in 2017 as well as released areas at location of interest of ICMP and MPI in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Ambassador met with owners of released land and neighbors participating in and receiving benefits from the projects. The implementation of clearance and technical survey activities within the Project “Mine Action Intervention in the Srebrenica region” are financed by the Kingdom of Netherlands and supported by Kingdom of Norway.