International delegates visit a UXO clearance site in Luang Prabang province on Sunday.

Delegates gain first-hand view of Laos’ UXO challenge ahead of Cluster Munitions Review Conference

More than 270 delegates from over 120 countries and international organisations visited an unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance site in Luang Prabang province on Sunday, gaining first-hand insight into Laos’ decades-long struggle to clear the deadly legacy of war as the country prepares to host the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
The field visit to Phikyai village, about 17 kilometres from Luang Prabang city centre, was organised on the eve of the conference, which Laos will host from September 14-18.

The event comes as Laos pushes for stronger national and international action to accelerate clearance as unexploded ordnance continues to kill and maim Lao people more than 50 years after the end of the Second Indochina War.
Between 1964 and 1973, more than 580,000 combat sorties dropped over two million tons of bombs on Lao territory—an average of one flight every eight minutes for nine years. An estimated 270 million cluster munitions were dropped, making Laos the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. Roughly 30 percent failed to detonate, leaving approximately 80 million small explosive devices in the ground.
The delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Standing Vice Chairman of the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO-Mine Action Sector (NRA), Mr Anouparb Vongnorkeo.
Delegates were welcomed by the Chairman of the Luang Prabang Provincial Administrative Committee, Dr Bounleua Sinxayvoravong.
At the clearance site, representatives of the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) briefed the group on survey and clearance operations in the northern province. The briefing covered the scale of remaining contamination, progress to date, operational challenges, and plans for future work.
Luang Prabang remains among the provinces significantly affected by UXO contamination. Technical surveys conducted since 2016 have covered 423 hectares in the Phikyai area, identifying 347.2 hectares as confirmed hazardous areas. Clearance operations have so far released 119.73 hectares of land, including 117.3 hectares of agricultural land and 2.39 hectares designated for development.
The operations have resulted in the discovery and destruction of 3,461 explosive items, comprising two large bombs, 2,775 cluster submunitions, and 684 other types of munitions.
For residents of Phikyai village, the clearance of contaminated land is closely linked to livelihoods and economic development. Most villagers depend on agriculture, and the release of safe land allows communities to expand rice cultivation, crop and fruit production, and livestock raising. Beyond improving household incomes, safe land also opens opportunities for commercial production and the development of tourism-related areas.
Nationally, UXO Lao—established in 1996—has deactivated more than 2.08 million items of ordnance since its founding, including over 1.25 million cluster munitions. Non-technical surveys have been conducted in 3,124 villages, while technical surveys have identified 254,235 hectares of hazardous areas. Clearance has released 101,569 hectares of land.
The programme operates 148 field teams across nine provinces. Since 2008 it has recorded 747 UXO-related incidents resulting in 1,233 casualties, including 919 injuries and 314 deaths. In 2025 there were 15 accidents and 25 casualties.
Laos has established Sustainable Development Goal 18, “Lives Safe from UXO,” as a national priority—the only country in the world to adopt an additional national SDG. The goal recognises that explosive remnants of war remain a major barrier to development and human safety.
Laos was the second country to sign and ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008, hosted the First Meeting of States Parties in 2010, and will chair the Third Review Conference in Vientiane this year.
During Sunday’s visit, delegates observed and participated in controlled UXO detonations, providing a direct demonstration of the technical and safety procedures involved in removing explosive remnants of war.
The field visit underscored the broader humanitarian importance of UXO clearance in one of the countries most heavily affected by cluster munitions.
The forthcoming Review Conference is expected to serve as an important platform for states and international organisations to review progress, address remaining challenges, and strengthen cooperation towards a future in which Lao communities can live, farm and develop without the constant threat of unexploded ordnance.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update September 14, 2026)