Jan Erik Støa Receives VUFO Medal for Clearing Mines in Vietnam

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Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of VUFO (R) presented the medal to Jan Erik Støa, Country Director of NPA in Vietnam. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations recognizes Jan Erik Støa for his significant contributions to the maintenance and development of NA) projects in Vietnam. He actively pursued and expanded funding sources for NPA's initiatives. Despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget for NPA's projects grew by 60-80% during his tenure compared to the previous term. He collaborated with international experts and local officials to enhance NPA's operational processes and methods, accelerating the surveying, clearing, and decontamination of land affected by bombs, mines, and explosives. In 2023, under his guidance, NPA completed a survey of cluster munition remnants in Quang Tri, produced a comprehensive map of cluster munition and explosive contamination in the area, and assisted local authorities and organizations, as well as donors, with the necessary information for planning and supporting clearance efforts.

Jan Erik Støa has concentrated on enhancing the capabilities of Vietnamese staff. Throughout his tenure, via training courses and personnel development, as well as advisory and consulting services, NPA has aided the Vietnam National Mine Action Center in cultivating expertise that meets international standards. Additionally, NPA has proactively transferred management, oversight, and project execution roles to local employees, provided on-site mine clearance training, and boosted female staff involvement. Presently, projects in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, and Kon Tum have been transitioned to the management of local authorities.

Furthermore, Jan Erik Støa promotes collaboration among organizations working in mitigating the aftermath of war. He has also guided NPA in aiding Vietnamese impacted by storms and floods, as well as in the prevention of COVID-19.

The "For Peace and Friendship Among Nations" medal he was awarded is a prestigious honor bestowed by the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations. It acknowledges significant individual contributions to peace, solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the people of Vietnam and those of other nations.

During the medal awarding ceremony, Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Vice President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), expressed high regard for Jan Erik Støa and the NPA organization's efforts in addressing the aftermath of war. This is an area of significant interest to Vietnam. The country looks forward to ongoing support from international organizations. The VUFO Vice President looks for further collaboration with NPA in information exchange, communication enhancement, and coordination in further activities. Both VUFO and the People's Aid Coordination Committee (PACCOM), a unit under VUFO, are willing to assist the organization to implement its projects in Vietnam.

Expressing his gratitude for receiving the medal, Jan Erik Støa extended his thanks to VUFO for their support of the organization's activities in Vietnam. Despite challenges with funding and administrative processes, he is confident that the collaboration between the two parties will remain effective moving forward.

NPA staff conduct mine clearance in Quang Tri. (Photo: NPA) Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) Vietnam has been active in Vietnam since 2007, focusing on several key areas: surveying cluster munitions, clearing sites, detonating mines, and building capacity for the monitoring, management, regulation, and coordination of mine clearance activities. Annually, NPA clears an average of 10 square kilometers of mine-contaminated land, detonates close to 10,000 mines and explosives uncovered during surveys and clearances, and addresses public reports of mine findings.

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