As part of efforts to strengthen the implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), a hybrid workshop entitled “Moving from national ownership to national leadership of explosive ordnance risk education (EORE)” was held on 16 June 2025 in Geneva and online. The event was led by Lao PDR in its capacity as the CCM Coordinator on Risk Education, with the support of the GICHD EORE Programme and the CCM Implementation Support Unit (ISU). The initiative followed the decision taken at the 12th Meeting of States Parties (12MSP) to establish a dedicated coordination role on risk education coordination.
The workshop gathered 63 participants, including CCM States Parties, experts and practitioners. Opening remarks were delivered by H.E. Mr. Carlos D. Sorreta, President of the 13th Meeting of States Parties (13MSP) and H.E. Mr. Daovy Vongxay of Lao PDR. Ms. Venephet Philathong, Risk Education Coordinator, provided the introduction to the workshop.
The workshop included an overview of global developments in risk education delivered by Humanity & Inclusion, followed by a panel discussion in which national mine action authorities from Colombia, Lao PDR, Lebanon and Somalia presented concrete examples of embedding risk education into their national mine action strategies, establishing dedicated departments and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms, and creating national working groups, quality management systems and national standards aligned with international best practices.
Discussions also underlined the importance of integrating risk education into broader policy frameworks and global agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Safe Schools Declaration.
Under Lao PDR’s leadership, this group of CCM States Parties agreed to build on this momentum with a follow-up event at the 13MSP in September 2025. Closing remarks were delivered by Ms. Pamela Moraga, Director of the CCM ISU.
The agenda of the workshop is available here.