Orientation for the Azerbaijan and Bosnia international teams took place. Pilot testing began in Somaliland. SAC presented a paper to the plenary session of the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva. See below for more details.

Afghanistan
The LIS proposal is under review in Brussels and in New York with UNDP. SAC is recruiting a team to be based in Kabul to oversee and monitor the survey.

Angola
Mike Kendellen, Director for Survey, and Bob Eaton, Executive Director, will conduct an Advance Survey Mission from 1-9 October. They will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Department of State Office for Humanitarian Demining and the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy. The team will meet with the Intersectoral National Commission for Demining and Humanitarian Assistance (CNIDAH), mine action NGOs, donor stakeholders, and the UN. The survey is expected to begin in early 2003.

Azerbaijan
The SAC senior staff for Azerbaijan (consisting of team leader, finance officer and GIS officer) were in Washington for orientation from 4-9 September before leaving for Baku. The SAC training team of Saeed Ahmad and Tom Haythornthwaite left for Baku on 27 September to coordinate and conduct the senior field staff training for the LIS.

Bosnia-Herzegovina
The Handicap International-France team leader and national operations coordinator for the survey were in Washington for orientation 4-9 September. The survey timeline was updated. Senior field staff training by SAC is scheduled for February 2003.

Eritrea
Eritrea Demining Authority and the UNDP will work with a local NGO, to conduct the LIS. They are currently recruiting senior staff. SAC will send a training mission as soon as recruiting is complete.

Ethiopia
Senior staff training by SAC is scheduled to begin 28 October. The Ethiopian Mine Action Organization and Norwegian People’s Aid will begin a rapid appraisal for expert opinion collection on 15 October.

Somalia
Danish Demining Group completed the survey interviewer training and began pilot testing on 21 September. Data collection will begin in early October. John Brown, UNMAS/UNOPS Quality Assurance Monitor, arrived in Hargeisa.

SWG, SCMA, 4MSP in Geneva
The Survey Working Group held its tenth meeting since the beginning days of the Landmine Impact Survey in 1998. The terms of reference and composition of a Steering Committee for the evaluation of the Global Landmine Steering was approved. Committee members are Charles Downs (UNOPS, convener), Alastair McAslan (CMA), and Mike Kendellen (SAC).
 
The Steering Committee for Mine Action met the day after the SWG in Geneva. Bob Eaton represented SAC. An NGO Task Force was established to review NGO/UN relations in the field.
 
The Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty met after the SCMA. On behalf of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines & Mine Action Working Group Bob Eaton presented a paper to the plenary on Landmine Impact Survey data and strategic planning to reach treaty goals. Bob's paper can be viewed by clicking here.
 
Bob Eaton participated in the Oslo conference celebrating the fifth anniversary of the drafting of the Mine Ban Treaty - “The Future of Humanitarian Mine Action: On the Fifth Anniversary of the 1997 Mine Ban Convention.”