White House Office of Science and Technology Helps to Coordinate Demining Activities Colleen Pettit, Staff Writer

Issue 1.1, Summer 1997.
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The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a member of the Interagency Working Group on Humanitarian Demining. As an overseer of this group of government and non-government agencies involved in demining, the OSTP helps to ensure that U.S. humanitarian demining research and development activities coordinate with relevant activities of the U.S. government and other demining organizations. OSTP additionally aids the execution of the Presidential policy to develop improved mine detection and clearing technology and to share the technology with the international humanitarian demining community. In both these roles, the OSTP works closely with the Department of State and the Department of Defense (DoD).

As reported in a recent OSTP report, the national security agenda of the White House addresses the need for technology transfer in demining to support world humanitarian demining efforts. Moreover, the international agenda of the White House incorporates demining as an important component of the U.S. government's commitment to supporting landmine-plagued countries in their attempt to enhance their economic development through demining efforts.

In future issues, The Journal of Humanitarian Demining will profile those organizations involved in the Interagency Working Group (IWG) as well as the demining efforts of the Department of State and DoD.