NPA VIETNAM'S AUGUST 2024 RECAP
August 2024 was a milestone month to NPA Vietnam with remarkable events.
Farewell to Mr. Jan Erik Støa
Mr. Jan Erik Støa - known as JES - NPA Vietnam’s favorite Country Director (CD) left for Thailand for his new mission as CD of NPA Thailand as per NPA HR rotation policy. JES started his close connection with NPA Vietnam since its early day dated back to 2009 as Programme Manager, then returned in 2018 as Operations Manager before taking the CD position since June 2019.
In recognition of his great contribution to mine action in Vietnam with active engagement and seemingly endless excellent initiatives dedicated to NPA’s humanitarian missions in Vietnam and to support the country in addressing the legacies of the wars, on 14 August 2024 he was conferred the “Medal for Peace and Friendship among Peoples” by Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Certificates of Merits from Quang Binh and Quang Tri Provincial Peoples’ Committees, as well as received great appreciations from other key stakeholders and especially from NPA Vietnam team.
Vietnam will miss you much and hope that our path will cross again as it did. Until then, we wish that you will continue being a happy JES, full of inspiring positive energies and great success in your new mission.
Welcoming Mr. Aubrey Miles Sutherland – new Country Director of NPA Vietnam
Mr. Aubrey Miles Sutherland has been with NPA since 2005 and assumed various management positions in different NPA country programmes, including Programme Manager in NPA Sri Lanka, NPA Angola, and NPA Ethiopia; Country Director in NPA Thailand, NPA Tajikistan and lately NPA Lao PDR.
From 5 to 18 Aug 2024, Mr. Aubrey Sutherland had courtesy visits and meeting with NPA Vietnam’s projects, local partners and authorities, and other mine action stakeholders as part of his handover program with his predecessor, Mr. Jan Erik Støa.
We strongly believe that with achievements that NPA Vietnam has made so far in its humanitarian mine action work in Vietnam, now enhanced with Mr. Aubrey Sutherland’s vast experience, NPA Vietnam will continue to succeed in its mission of supporting the people of Vietnam in addressing the legacies of the wars, for the safety and sustainable development of the community.
NPA Vietnam’s renewed Non-governmental Organization (NGO) Office Registration is renewed for period 2024-2029
On 28 August 2024, Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved the NPA Vietnam’s request for renewal of its foreign NGO Office Registration in Vietnam for another continued five-year period from 2024 to 2029.
NPA Vietnam sees this approval as a confirmation and recognition of the Vietnam government on NPA’s efforts in supporting the people of Vietnam by reducing the negative impact that cluster munition and other explosive ordnances have on lives and livelihoods in affected communities; assisting national and provincial authorities in capacity development in managing and regulating the mine action activities, providing risk education, conducting surveys and clearance of cluster munition and other explosive ordnances, to protect the environment and neutralize the effect of the wars, in support of sustainable socio-economic development.
NPA Vietnam would like to thank the national and provincial authorities, and our partners for the fruitful cooperation over the past 17 years and the continued trust. We also thank our donors: the governments of Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany for crucially financial sponsoring our mine action work in Vietnam.
Special thanks to Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and People's Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) for always providing us full admin support and advices as Vietnam focal point for all foreign NGOs in Vietnam, including in the essential process of this Registration renewal.
