FCDO Director for South-East Asia and Pacific, Charles Hay MVO is visiting Cambodia this week to see the positive impact of the UK’s Global Mine Action Programme (GMAP) on communities in Cambodia.
During a field visit to HALO Trust operations at Kulen Mountain, Siem Reap province on 12 May 2025, Mr Hay saw first-hand the clearance operations and met with local beneficiaries whose communities have been made safer and more prosperous through the UK’s long-standing support for mine action.
Director for South-East Asia and Pacific, Charles Hay MVO said
Meeting with local communities in Kulen Mountain, I’ve seen how our Global Mine Action Programme is transforming lives across Cambodia. Fields once deadly with explosives are now productive farmland where children play safely.
The bravery of HALO Trust’s deminers is extraordinary – their meticulous work under challenging conditions is making Cambodia’s 2030 mine-free goal achievable. Our programme is delivering real results, having already cleared over 151 million square metres of contaminated land.
As one of Cambodia’s longest-established mine-action partners, we’ve seen clearly Cambodia’s evolution from recipient to partner -it is impressive to see Cambodia today sharing its deep expertise with demining operations worldwide, including Ukraine. This exemplifies the sustainable impact of our long-standing partnership.
The UK Global Mine Action Programme has cleared, confirmed safe and released over 151 million square metres of land in Cambodia since 2014. The programme has also delivered risk education to 481,440 people living in mine-affected communities. Since 1993, the UK has invested approximately £60 million in Cambodia’s demining efforts, helping to clear over 65,000 anti-personnel mines and benefiting more than 600,000 people. Under the current GMAP programme, operations will continue with existing funding of US $2.9million in 2025/2026.
The visit included strategic meetings with Senior Minister Ly Thuch, Vice President of Cambodia Mine Action Authority and Lieutenant Uch Vantha, Deputy Chief of Army of Royal Cambodia Army to enhance coordination on clearance priorities within the existing GMAP framework. These discussions focused on strengthening partnerships between HALO Trust and Cambodian authorities to maximise the impact of ongoing efforts.
The UK is also an effective advocate for innovative finance mechanisms that bring additional funding into the demining sector and transform post-conflict land into productive farmland. Since 2023, the UK has been supporting the $1.8 million (£1.395 million) Mine Action Development Impact Bond ‘Minefields to Rice Fields’, led by APOPO and its partners. The project successfully released over 7.6 million square meters of land in Preah Vihear Province, removing 445 anti-personnel mines and 184 explosive remnants of war, benefiting 2610 people.
The Mine fields to Rice fields project stands as a powerful example of how strategic demining and sustainable agriculture can work hand in hand to create lasting economic and social impact in post-conflict regions. FCDO and APOPO are currently looking for additional investors to sustain the project beyond 2026.
As one of the founding signatories to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, the UK continues as a leading partner in Cambodia’s journey toward becoming mine-free by 2030.
The demining sector has created thousands of jobs for Cambodians, including empowering women in both demining and management positions, and creating opportunities for staff with disabilities, including landmine victims.
Further information
- Charles Hay is a senior British diplomat. He served as the UK’s High Commissioner to Malaysia from 2019 until 2023 and as the UK’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2015 to 2018
- regional conflict and civil war left Cambodia with one of the highest densities of landmines in the world
- the UK has been a leading player in demining in Cambodia through bilateral interventions and the Global Mine Action Programme for more than 30 years
- the Global Mine Action Programme provided £2.2 million to support the work of MAG and HALO in Cambodia in FY24/25 and is providing a further £2.2 million in FY25/26.Through our partnership with Cambodia Mine Action Authority, we supported the Siem Reap Review conference – providing Wilton Park and financial support in November 2024
- under GMAP, HALO has delivered clearance, risk education and explosive ordnance disposal in western provinces including Battambang, Oddar Meanchey, Banteay Meanchey, Palin, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, Pursat, and Koh Kong
- HALO Trust’s headquarters in Siem Reap now serves as a global training hub, sharing Cambodia’s expertise with mine clearance operations worldwide
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