At the signing ceremony of Grant Contracts regarding the Humanitarian Demining in Northern Sri Lanka

Lt Col Retd (Lieutenant Colonel Retired) Sarath Jayawardhana, Programme Manager, SHARP
Ms. Belinda Vause, Programme Manager, The HALO trust
Staff members of SHARP and The HALO Trust, members of media, Ladies and Gentlemen
 
Good morning, Vanakkam, Ayubovan. Today, it is great pleasure to have singed here in Kilinochchi the Grant Contracts of the two projects to be implemented respectively by Skavita Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Project (SHARP) and The HALO Trust for humanitarian demining in Northern Sri Lanka. These projects are assisted through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects, also known as ‘GGP’.
 
The Government of Sri Lanka aims to achieve “Mine-Impact Free Sri Lanka” by the year of 2020, and has acceded to the Ottawa Convention in December 2017. Japan highly appreciates these commitments by Sri Lanka and will continue to provide our fullest support for this endeavor. With the continuous efforts of the Sri Lankan Government and the demining organizations, the remaining confirmed hazardous area has been reduced from over 1,000 square kilometers to 25 square kilometers.
 
These two grant assistance for which we signed contracts today would be utilized to further proceed with the ongoing mine clearance in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna Districts, leading to the return and resettlement of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) as well as to the resumption of agriculture and other livelihood activities of the returnees in those areas. The projects will also enable access to economic and social infrastructure such as schools, markets, places of religious worship etc.
 
I would like to note that these demining activities contribute to the employment of local people, because most of the deminers working for these projects are those from the Northern or Eastern provinces, who have been affected by the internal conflict. As we can see today, mine action also provides equal opportunities for women. The HALO trust and SHARP will employ over 250 staff members through these GGP projects, while approximately 30% of staff are women.
 
The Government of Japan has been continuously supporting mine clearance activities in Sri Lanka since 2003, and the total amount of assistance exceeds USD 35 million. Japan is the only country that supports all the four demining organizations which currently operate in Sri Lanka.  Development of the conflict-affected regions including the Northern and Eastern Provinces is one of the priority areas in Japan’s official development assistance policy to Sri Lanka. Under this policy, Japan has assisted the establishment of research and training complex at the faculty of agriculture of the University of Jaffna, the construction of socio-economic infrastructure in the Northern and Eastern provinces, and the improvement of the Jaffna Teaching Hospital, among others.
 
The demining activity is conducted under a very harsh environment, which requires deminers to wear heavy protective equipment even under severe heat. I would like to sincerely appreciate each one of you for your commitment and dedication towards this valuable exercise. I hope that these projects further contribute to the safety and the well-being of the Sri Lankan people and the Government’s goal of achieving ”Mine-Impact Free Sri Lanka” by 2020.  
 
Thank you very much