landmine and cluster munition monitor 2010

8/8/2019 Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor 2010

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Mine Ban PolicyCommitment to Mine Ban Treaty

Mine Ban Treaty status State PartyNational implementation measures Law 759; in effect since 25 July 2002Transparency reporting 30 April 2010Key developments Colombia hosted the Second Review Conference in Cartagena

in NovemberDecember 2009

PolicyThe Republic of Colombia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified on 6September 2000, becoming a State Party on 1 March 2001. National implementation legislation,

Law 759, came into effect on 25 July 2002.

1

Colombia submitted its tenth Article 7 transparency report on 30 April 2010, covering the periodfrom 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2010.2 Under national implementation measures, Colombialists its main operational results against non-state armed groups (NSAGs) during 2009 (forexample, the number of demobilizations and captures), and says these should be considered asofficial measures to prevent activities prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty.3

From 29 November4 December 2009, Colombia hosted the Second Review Conference of theMine Ban Treaty in Cartagena. A total of 128 governments (108 States Parties, one signatory,and 19 states not party) participated in the conference, also known as the Cartagena Summit on a

Mine-Free World, including over 40 high-level political representatives and, for the first time,the United States.4 The ICBL delegation of 419 participants from 73 countries included 171Colombian campaigners and survivors. More than 35 events were held parallel to the SecondReview Conference, including field visits to affected areas, a quad rugby match, and a YouthLeaders Forum.5

1 See Article 7 Report, Form A, 6 May 2005; andLandmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 255, for details on penal sanctions and other aspects of thelaw.2 The reporting period overlaps by three months the previous reporting period that ended 31 March 2009. Previous reports were submitted on 30April 2009, in April 2008 and April 2007, and on 29 June 2006, 6 May 2005, 11 May 2004, 27 May 2003, 6 August 2002, and 15 March 2002.3 Tal omo se a sealao en los inormes anteriores Colomia uenta on toos los meanismos urios para prevenir y reprimir el empleo

prouin omerializain esin y almacenamiento de minas antipersonal por personas particulares. De otro lado, y en el entendido que sonlos miembros de los GAML [grupos armados al margen de la ley] quienes aen un uso ontinuo y sistemtio e ios arteatos para ataar ala Fuerza Plia olomiana e intimiar a la polain ivil el Estao olomiano onsiera que las operaiones onuentes a esartiularias estruturas riminales een ser onsieraas omo meias oiiales para prevenir las ativiaes en uestin . Al respecto, la Tabla 1relaiona los prinipales resultaos operaionales ontra las GAML en 2009. See Article 7 Report, Form A, 30 April 2010.4UN Final Report Seon Review Conerene o te States Parties to te Convention on te Proiition o te Use, Stockpiling, Productionand Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines an on Teir Destrution Cartagena 30 Novemer4 December 2009, APLC/CONF/2009/9, 17 June2010. See also ICBL Report on Ativities: Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World, 29 November to 4 Deemer 2009 May 2010www.icbl.org.5 Second Review Conference, Cartagena Ation Plan aopte y international ommunity Press release, 4 December 2009, Cartagena,www.cartagenasummit.org
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Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Caldern presided over the opening ceremony of theSeon Review Conerene elivere Colomias spee in the high-level segment, andparticipated throughout the week of events. Ambassador Clara Ins Vargas Silva of Colombiawas designated Secretary General of the conference. Colombia made statements on victimassistance, cooperation and assistance, and mine clearance.

Throughout 2009, Colombia played a central role in meetings held to prepare for the SecondReview Conference. It spoke at formal preparatory meetings held in Geneva on 29 May and on34 September 2009. Colombia co-convened a special event at the UN in New York on 23October 2009.6 Colombian officials also attended regional meetings held in Managua, Nicaragua(2426 February 2009), Bangkok, Thailand (13 April 2009), Pretoria, South Africa (911

September 2009), and Tirana, Albania (79 October 2009).7

During the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in June 2010, Colombia served as co-rapporteur of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and MineAction Technologies. It also made statements on mine clearance, and cooperation and assistance.

Colombia is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its AmendedProtocol II on landmines. Colombia has never submitted an Article 13 annual report. Colombia isnot party to CCW Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

The Colombian Campaign against Mines (Campaa Colombiana contra Minas, CCCM) operates

a network of local coordinators in 22 departments and was heavily involved in the SecondReview Conference, as were the Colombian Center for Integrated Rehabilitation (Centro Integralde Rehabilitacion de Colombia, CIREC) and other NGOs. CCCM has continued to promote theend of landmine use by Colombian NSAGs and, in 2009, became involved in a new project onhumanitarian demining.8

In 2009, the Ottawa Working Group (Grupo de Trabajo de Ottawa, GTO-14), a group of NGOswho work on the landmine issue, was established to ensure coordinated civil society activitiesaround the Second Review Conference and to help bring about a mine-free Colombia. 9

Production and transfer

6ICBL Campaign urges ol-out states to an lanmines Press release, 23 October 2009, New York. SeeLandmine Monitor Report 2009, p.288325 for additional events.7 For more information on these meetings see www.cartagenasummit.org.8 Email from Camilo Serna Villegas, Operations Coordinator, CCCM; and email from Alvaro Jimnez Milln, National Coordinator, CCCM, 6August 2009.9 GTO-14 members: CCCM, CIREC, Fundacin Restrepo Barco, Fundacin Retorno y Vida, Fundacin Mi Sangre, Fundacin REI, HandicapInternational, Pastoral Social, la Asamblea Permanente Por la Paz, Colombian Red Cross, United For Colombia, British Council, Mercy Corps,and Moviment Per la Pau. gto14.org.
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Colomias State Military Inustry (Inustria Militar INDUMIL) ease proution oantipersonnel mines in September 1998, and destroyed its production equipment on 18November 1999.10

The government of Colombia is not known to have ever exported antipersonnel mines. Therehave been past reports of mines transferred as part of illegal weapons shipments destined forNSAGs in Colombia, but Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor knows of no reports since2003.

NSAGs in Colombia are expert in the production o explosive evies. Colomias Artile 7reports contain information on mines produced by NSAGs by type, dimensions, fuzing,

explosive type and content, and metallic content, and also include photographs and additionalinformation. Twelve different design types are manufactured, which include antipersonnel,antivehicle, and Claymore mines, as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The militarystates that the mines are sometimes fitted with antihandling devices.11 Both the RevolutionaryArmed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejrcito del Pueblo,FARC) and the National Liberation Army (Unin Camilista-Ejrcito de Liberacin Nacional,ELN) manufacture antipersonnel mines and IEDs.

Stockpile destruction and retentionColombia reported completion of the destruction of its stockpile of 18,531 antipersonnel mineson 24 October 2004.12

Colombia retained 586 MAP-1 mines for training purposes as of April 2010, the same number asreported since 2007.13 In March 2007, the coordinator of the Antipersonnel Mines Observatory(Observatorio de las Minas Antipersonal) said that Colombia had made a decision in 2006 todestroy all of its antipersonnel mines previously retained for training. 14 A total of 300 retainedmines were destroyed in three separate events in 2006, but Colombia has not destroyed any, or

10 Interviews with Eng. Sergio Rodrguez, Second Technical Manager, INDUMIL, 5 July 2000 and 24 July 2001. As of 2001, INDUMIL was stillproducing Claymore-type directional fragmentation mines. Colombia has stated that these mines are used only in command-detonated mode, aspermitted by the Mine Ban Treaty. However, Colombia has not reported on steps it has taken to ensure that these mines are used only incommand-detonated mode.11Presentation y te Colomian Arme Fores Desarrollo Compromiso on la Convenin e Ottawa (Development Commitment with theOttawa Convention) Bogot 6 Mar 2006. Antipersonnel mines and IEDs manufactured by armed groups are constructed out of everythingfrom glass bottles to plastic jerry cans. The explosive used is normally ANFO (made from fertilizer), but sometimes is a conventional explosivesuch as TNT. The mines are initiated by pressure-activated syringe fuzes (chemical initiation), or by battery-operated fuzes and electric fuzesactivated by both pressure and trip-wires. These mines often have high levels of metal fragmentation in them.12 In addition to these 18,531 mines destroyed, the government has reported three other destructions of a total of 3,404 antipersonnel mines. Overthe years, there have been many inonsistenies an isrepanies in Colomias ount o stokpile mines an teir estrution. Te Ministry oDefense sent a letter to Landmine Monitor in September 2005 to clarify many of the problems. For details, seeLandmine Monitor Report 2006, p.302.13 Article 7 Report, Form D, 30 April 2010. See also, Form D of Article 7 reports submitted in April 2009, April 2008, and April 2007.14 The coordinator said the decision was made primarily because the majority of mines laid in the country are of NSAG design and do notcorrespond to the MAP-1 mines used for demining instruction. Interview with Luz Piedad Herrera, Coordinator, Antipersonnel MinesObservatory, Bogot, 16 March 2007.


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consumed any in training activities, since that time.15 Colombia has never reported in detail onthe intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines, as agreed by States Parties at theFirst Review Conference in 2004 and again at the Second Review Conference in 2009.

Use

There have been no allegations of mine use by government forces in 2009 or early 2010. Anallegation of possible antipersonnel mine use by government forces in La Florida, Valle delCauca municipality in June 2008 was refuted by the government in August 2009.16

Use by non-state armed groups

FARC and ELN continue to use antipersonnel mines and IEDs on a regular basis. In the past

decade, paramilitary forces have also used antipersonnel mines, most notably the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia until its disbandment in 2006.17

According to a demining expert in Colombia, NSAGs mainly lay mines near their campsites orbases, on paths that lead to areas of strategic importance (such as paths to their bases, or paths tomain transit routes along mountain ridges), and to protect caches of explosives, weapons,medicine, and clothing.18

In a growing problem, NSAGs also plant antipersonnel mines in or near coca fields to preventeradication efforts.19 According to the Presidential Program for Mine Action (ProgramaPresidencial de Accin Integral Contra Minas Antipersonales, PAICMA), of the 240 civilian

mine victims recorded in 2008 and 2009, 123 were manual coca eradicators. They came from 12municipalities, and in seven of these (namely Puerto Ass, Valle de Guamez, Taraz, Anor,Puerto Libertador, and Tib), they made up between 75% and 100% of all recorded civilian minevictims.20

The Colombian army has frequently reported on the use of antipersonnel mines by and therecovery of antipersonnel mines from FARC and ELN, as well as on the destruction ofexplosives factories. One study asserts that NSAGs have laid more than 50,000 antipersonnelmines, but the precise number is not known.21

15 In 2003 and 2004, Colombia reported it retained 986 mines for training. It reduced that number to 886 in 2005 when it decided the largernumber was not necessary. It destroyed 300 more mines in 2006 (100 each in March, September, and December), but the number has not changedsince December 2006. SeeLandmine Monitor Report 2007, pp. 267268; andLandmine Monitor Report 2006, pp. 302303.16 Letter OF109-00090099/AUV 33500 from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, Director, PAICMA, , 27 August 2009. For more information, see

Landmine Monitor Report 2009, p. 299.17 Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor has not seen reports of mine use by paramilitaries since 2006. SeeLandmine Monitor Report 2006, p.300;Landmine Monitor Report 2005 , p. 264; andLandmine Monitor Report 2004 , p. 324.18 Email from Matthew Hovell, Programme Manager, HALO Trust, 14 April 2010.19 See, or example Cris Kraul Lan mines take a toll on Colomia's poorLos Angeles Times , 6 March 2010, articles.latimes.com.20 Ulri Tietze Tenial Avisor Anti Lanmine Ation Conept Data Analysis, IMSMA 2008-2009 to identify ideas for focussingPAICMAs work in 2010-2014 PAICMA, Bogot, 22February 2010.21 Organization of American States (OAS) National Proile (Colomia) OAS Humanitarian Demining Proets 20092010 www.oas.org.
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FARCFARC is probably the most prolific user of antipersonnel mines among rebel groups anywhere inte worl. FARC Commaner Alonso Cano as reportely eene FARC mine laying as tebest way to stop the advance of military operations.22 In April 2010, the army reported that twoformer FARC combatants had provided information on their activities in the construction andlaying of mines.23

On 2 July 2010, Panamas Minister of Public Security told media that landmines had been foundon the Panama side of the border with Colombia, in the remote, densely forested province ofDarien. Two Panamanian border police were injured in a mine blast there the previous week.Colombian President lvaro Uribe Vlez, who was visiting Panama at the time, said FARC was

responsible for planting the mines.24

From mid-2009 to mid-2010, the Colombian army reported recovering mines in militaryoperations against FARC forces in the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Guaviare,Meta, Putumayo, Tolima, and Valle.25 Most notably, in December 2009, the army reportedrecovering 2,700 antipersonnel mines from a FARC camp in Tolima.26 This is one of the largestseizures of mines ever reported by any State Party.

In September 2009, the army reported the recovery of 18 antipersonnel mines from a FARCcombatant in Valle,27 and nine antipersonnel mines from a FARC camp in Putumayo.28 In May2009, the army reported the recovery of 194 antipersonnel mines from arms caches belonging to

FARC in Guaviare.29

ELN

From mid-2009 to mid-2010, the army reported recovering mines in military operations againstELN forces in the departments of Boyac and Nario.30

22 Mara el Rosario Arrzola an Juan Davi Lavere La nueva estrategia e Cano (New Strategy o Cano) El Espectador, 27September 2008, www.elespectador.com. See alsoLandmine Monitor Report 2009, p. 300.23 Republic of Colombia Army, Testimonios Fugaos (Testimonies o the Escaped [former combatants]), February and April 2010,www.ejercito.mil.co.24 Sean Mattson Colomian reels planting lanmines in Panama: governmentReuters (Panama City), 2 July 2010, www.reuters.com. FARCreportedly has turned increasingly to overland routes across the porous border with Panama to smuggle cocaine to the US as more sea and airpolice patrols cut off traditional smuggling routes northward.25 Media monitoring of news announcements on Emisora del Ejrcito de Colombia (army radio) website between May 2009 and June 2010,www.emisoraejercito.mil.co.26 The mines were reportedly found in a rural area outside the city of Rovira, along with documents belonging to the Cajamarca Unit of theFARC. Army ins tousans o lanmines in soutern ColomiaEFE News Service (Bogot), 3 December 2009, www.laht.com.27 Operaiones Contunentes ontra las FARC en Valle y Caua (Intensive operations against te FARC in Valle an Caua) Emisora del

Ejrcito de Colombia (army radio), 24 September 2009, www.emisoraejercito.mil.co.28 Colomian army estroys two FARC ampsXinhua News Agency, 15 September 2009, www.encyclopedia.com.29Erito estruye ms e 80 minas en el Guaviare (Army estroys more tan 80 mines in Guaviare) Emisora del Ejrcito de Colombia(army radio), 27 May 2009, www.cuartadivision.mil.co.30 Media monitoring of news announcements on Emisora del Ejrcito de Colombia (army radio) website between May 2009 and June 2010,www.emisoraejercito.mil.co.


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In June 2009, the army blamed the ELN for a civilian mine casualty in the municipality ofSamaniego, Nario department, near the border with Ecuador.31 In May 2009, a militaryspokesperson claimed the ELN was responsible for planting mines that injured a teenaged girland her daughter and killed four soldiers in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander department, close tothe border with Venezuela.32Contamination and ImpactMines

Te preise extent o Colomias mine an explosive remnants of war (ERW) problem remainsunclear. The government of Colombia has identified 35 military bases as affected by mines, ofwhich 34 had been cleared as of August 2010 from some 160,000m2 of area.33 The nationaldatabase contains information that 31 of the 32 departments may be mine-affected. Based on the

13,234 events recorded in the national database as of August 2010 there has been at least oneevent in 65% of the municipios (municipalities) and almost 50%of the events are concentrated in just 49 of the 1,066 municipalities in the country. Additionally,58% of the events have been recorded in six of the 32 departments (Antioquia, Meta, Bolvar,Caquet, Norte de Santander, and Arauca).34

However, given the irregular nature of mine-laying, the continued use of mines makes itimpossible to get a static picture of contamination. Colombia stated that the lack of informationprevented it from including a complete operational plan in its Article 5 deadline extensionrequest.35

The army reported that antipersonnel and antivehicle mines laid by non-state armed groups(NSAGs) are found along routes used by government forces and around NSAG bases, in ruralareas, around schools ouses national parks inigenous ommunities lan an oaproduction sites.36 An analysis of mined areas by the Organization of American States (OAS)suggests that NSAGs typically place improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in separate locationsapproximately 5m apart and connected by plastic wires that cannot be detected by conventionalmine detection equipment.37 The OAS, however, believes that although these devices have beenwidely emplaced by NSAGs, better information is needed for planning survey and clearance

31 Lariego nariense muere al aer en minao el Eln (Nario armer ies ater alling on ELN mine) Emisora del Ejrcito de Colombia(army radio), 11 June 2009, www.ejercito.mil.co.324 Soliers kille 2 ivilians woune in Colomia mine ielEFE News Service (Bogot), 17 May 2009, laht.com.33 Email Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, Director, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.34 Article 5 deadline Extension Request (Revision), 5 August 2010, p. 19.35PAICMA Colomia Faing te Callenge of Anti-Personnel Mines Bogot 2009 p. 6 www.aionontraminas.gov.o; an Artile 5deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, pp. 2, 32.36Artile 7 Report April 2008 Form A; see also PAICMA Montly Newsletter Speial Eition Bogot April 2008, pp. 13, 15; and UNOie or te Coorination o Humanitarian Aairs (OCHA) Colomia Inorme Mensual FereroMarzo 2007 (Montly Report Feruary

Mar 2007) p. 2 www.olomiass.org. Aoring to Colomias Artile 7 report sumitte in April 2008, 52 farmers were injured in the firstthree months of 2008 while eradicating coca plants in national parks.37OAS Setion I: National Mine Ation Proile Colombia, OAS Mine Action Project Portfolio 20062007 www.aima.oas.org.


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operations. The OAS believes it is imperative that good non-technical survey with land releaseand overall mine assessment and planning be a priority in Colombia.38

In May 2010, the Presidential Program for Mine Action (Programa Presidencial para la AccinIntegral contra Minas Antipersonal, PAICMA) estimated that there were about 10,900 suspectedhazardous areas (SHAs)only 29% of which had geo-reference coordinatesthat requiredfurther survey and possibly clearance in 601 (55%) of the 1,098 municipalities. According toPAICMA, most mined areas are only identified after an incident occurs.39 There are no records,or even reliable estimates, of the number and exact location of mined areas laid by NSAGs.SHAs are generally in isolated locations scattered across the affected departments, and thesecurity situation is so precarious that there is no guarantee that cleared areas can be released as

safe areas.40

HALO Trust, which has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PAICMA to survey 11municipalities, has found that minefields in Colombia tend to be laid in low densities though theycan be accurately defined and delineated through good survey. The mines are improvised fromordinary items ranging from glass bottles to plastic jerrycans to larger devices such as gascanisters.41 As of August 2010 HALO had found one minefield for every four recorded SHAs. Itestimates that if the same ratio was applied across Colombia the true number of SHAs may beless than 3,000. Based on extensive assessments in Antioquia, Bolvar, and Sucre departmentswith a concentration in the seven municipalities of Argelia, Nario, Sonsn, Cocorn, San Luis,San Rafael, and Abejorral in southeast Antioquia where the government has been in control from

two to four years, HALO found mines tended to be placed on tracks to areas previously occupiedor transited by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionariasde Colombia-Ejrcito del Pueblo, FARC), or around key locations, such as schools, which werepreviously occupied by NSAGs. As of 23 August 2010, HALO had surveyed 135 villageadministration areas (mostly on foot), with results showing the average minefield is 7,300m 2.42

Based on information from the army and PAICMA that the location of most mines is related tostrategic purposestransit routes, sites suitable for ambushes, protecting camps, and illicitcropsMines Advisory Group (MAG) believes the most suitable land release strategies arecommunity liaison (CL) and non-technical and technical surveys, followed by small rapidresponse teams to deal with mines, IEDs, and UXO. MAG believes it will be essential to

maintain CL throughout all phases of surveying and clearance as the community must have theright to give its opinion as to whether or not it is safe to undertake demining operations in each

38 Carl Case A Mine-ree Central Ameria: How Can We Improve on Suess?Journal of ERW and Mine Action, Issue 14.2, Summer 2010,maic.jmu.edu.39 Statement of Colombia, Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Mine Action Technologies, Geneva, 22 June 2010.40 Presentation by Colombia, Managua Workshop on Progress and Challenges in Achieving a Mine-Free Americas, 25 February 2009.41 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Matthew Hovell, Programme Manager, HALO, 14 April 2010.42 Email from Matthew Hovell, HALO, 23 August 2010.


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location.43In HALOs view, the extent of the mine contamination, considering the high numberof casualties as an indicator of danger and risk, limits the amount of assistance that can safely beprovided to internally displaced persons (IDPs) after they return.44

High casualty rates among coca eradicators in Nudo de Paramillo in the Cordillera Occidentalmountain range, the Catatumbo forest reserves in Norte de Santander department, the foothills ofthe Andes mountains in northwestern Arauca, and several locations in southeastern Colombiaindicate additional locations and risks.45

Notwithstanding these views and the lack of complete data on the problem, Colombia estimatedit would clear 48km2 through mechanical and manual clearance, and release another 73km2

through non-technical survey in 20112020.46

Explosive remnants of war

Although the precise extent to which Colombia is affected by ERW is not known, it is estimatedthat 5% of all mine/ERW incidents resulting in injury or death are caused by UXO. 47 In the 23municipalities in which MAG is operating in Antioquia and Choc all but one are contaminatedby ERW.48

Mine Action ProgramKey institutions and operators

Body Situation on 1 January 2010

National Mine Action Authority CINAMAPMine action center PAICMAInternational demining and surveyoperators

OAS (for quality assurance), HALO, MAG, ConsortiumCol-Lis

National demining operators Army (Demining Battalion of the Military Forces)International risk educationoperators

MAG, ICRC, UNICEF

National risk education operators ACIN, CCCM, Colombian Red Cross, Seeds of Hope,Restrepo Barco Foundation, Tierra de Paz, and PastoralSocial

The National Interministerial Commission on Antipersonnel Mine Action (ComisinIntersectorial Nacional para la Accin contra Minas Antipersonal, CINAMAP), established on 8

43 Email from Richard Hartill, Country Programme Manager, MAG, 12 August 2010.44 Email from Matthew Hovell, HALO, 25 August 2010.45Aoring to Colomias Artile 7 report sumitte in April 2008 52 armers were inure in the first three months of 2008 while eradicatingoa plants in national parks. Cris Kraul Lan mines take a toll on Colomias poorLos Angeles Times, 6 March 2010, latimes.com; andArticle 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, p. 13.46 Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, Annex 3, p. 56.47PAICMA Situation National 1990-June 2010 www.aionontraminas.gov.o.48 Email from Richard Hartill, MAG, 25 August 2010.


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October 2001, is responsible for implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, including developmentof a national plan, policy decisions, and coordination of international assistance.

PAICMA is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the 20092019 Integrated MineAction Plan, of which the overall strategy is to minimize the socio-economic impact of mines,IEDs, and UXO, and to implement sustainable development programs in affected communities.49

Information management

The database at PAICMA contains information from as far back as 1990. So-called eventsageneri term speii to mine ation in Colomia tat enompasses inients aientssuspete azarous areas UXO eativation o evies an military emininghave

ourre in 31 o Colomias 32 epartments te only exeption eing te Carieanarchipelago department of Providencia, San Andrs, and Santa Catalina.50 In June 2009, at aworkshop in Bogot bringing together PAICMA, the Colombian army, NGOs, and donors, it wasreported that although a considerable amount of data is available, it often cannot be corroborated,collated, or integrated across information management systems.51 In August 2010, PAICMAreported that with support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining andthe UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), progress was being made in the design andimplementation of an information management model appropriate to the situation in Colombia.52

Demining capacity

Since the initiation of mine action in Colombia the army has been the sole operator for clearing

not only the 35 mined military bases, but also for demining in affected communities that they canaccess safely. Since the beginning of 2009, Colombia has been assessing a legal framework toallow civilian organizations to conduct mine clearance operations. In August 2009, then-Vice-President Francisco Santos Caldern told a workshop sponsored by the NGO Geneva Call thathumanitarian demining with civilian organizations was new to Colombia and that it requiredcareful planning as well as a regulatory framework to address such issues as safety of the civilianpopulation and staff, approval of operational areas, sustainability, logistics, funding,accreditation, monitoring, and the use of explosives to destroy landmines.53

Colombias Artile 5 ealine extension request envisions ivilian entities onuting mineclearance in 20102020. The clearance targets in the extension request are based on increasing

military platoons from eight in 2010 to 25 in 2020 and civilian teams from two in 2011 to 49 in

49PAICMA Colomia Faing te Callenge o Anti-Personnel Mines, Bogot 2009 p. 3 www.aionontraminas.gov.o; an email romAndrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.50 Statement of Colombia, Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 6 June 2008.51 Mine Action Inormation Center James Maison University Exeutive Summary Colomia Humanitarian Demining Planning WorksopBogot, 912 June 2009, maic.jmu.edu.52 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.53Geneva Call Summary Report on the Conference on Integral Mine Action in Colombia, 1314 August 2009 www.genevaall.org p. 13.


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2020.54 As of August 2010, however, Congress had not passed a law allowing civilian deminingorganizations to operate in Colombia.55

In March 2010, UNMAS and UNDP both hired technical advisors to assist the mine actionprogram.56

Land ReleaseSince 2005, Colombia has reported clearance of 454,454m2 of contaminated land at 30 militarybases and in 24 communities, with 2009 the most productive year to date. In 2009, 16 militarybases and SHAs in 22 communities covering a total of 170,218m 2 were cleared. With the

increase in demining teams in the Colombian army from four to eight, humanitarian clearance byJune 2010 had exceeded the clearance output at the military bases. PAICMA reported that as ofJune 2010, 34 of the 35 bases had been cleared. It is planned the remaining base will be clearedby the end of 2010.57

Summary of clearance of military bases: 2005 to June 201058 Year No. of military

bases clearedMined areacleared (m2)

June 2010 4 18,2322009 16 45,9492008 7 38,578

2007 4 18,3822006 2 3,2592005 1 4,831Total 34 129,231

Summary of land release of humanitarian demining: 2005 to June 201059 Year No. of

communitiesMined areacleared (m2)

June 2010 19 120,7812009 19 106,0372008 3 83,6482007 2 15,7572006 0 02005 0 0Total 43 326,223

54 Article 5 deadline Extension Request (Revision), 5 August 2010, p. 455 Email from Camilo Serna Villegas, Operations Coordinator, CCCM, 20 August 2010.56 Interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 14 April 2010.57 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.58 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, South America Regional Coordinator, AICMA, OAS, 13 May 2010. Colomias Artile5 extension request reports that 110,999m2 have been cleared from 30 military bases. Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, p. 8.59 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010.


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Survey in 2009

In the absence of a well-defined landmine problem, surveys and assessments initiated in 2009have added to the growing body of knowledge and understanding about the mine and ERWproblem in Colombia. In March 2010, PAICMA estimated that about 10,900 SHAs requiredfurther survey and possibly clearance.60

Landmine impact surveyIn December 2008, the European Commission (EC) awarded a contract to an internationalconsortium consisting of universities in Belgium and Colombia and three companies, one inSpain and two in the United Kingdom, to conduct a pilot study of the socio-economic impact of

landmines and UXO on affected communities in Colombia.61

Although it is called a LandmineImpact Survey, Colombia has adopted methodologies and processes not used in other suchsurveys and thus cannot be equated to the branded Landmine Impact Survey. 62

As a pilot project, one of the purposes of the survey was to identify a systematic data collectionmethodology that could be used to survey all of the mine/ERW-suspected areas of the country.The areas to survey were selected on the basis of being a representative sample of the landmineproblem in Colombia rather than areas with the most incidents found in the database. 63 In July2009, PAICMA identified the southeast of the Antioquia department; Catatumbo in Norte deSantander department close to the Venezuelan border; Montes de Mara (a mountainous regionon the Caribbean coast); and the western region of Nario department as the four areas where the

survey would begin in September 2009.64

Data collection began in November 2009 and ended inJune 2010. The survey identified 59 impacted communities from the 697 communities surveyed.The survey found landmines primarily blocked farmland, roads, hunting, and foraging areas. Thesurvey identified 17 victims in the two years prior to the survey. Security issues are said to havelimited the scope of the survey in Catatumbo and Nario.65

Preliminary survey results as July 201066

AreasTotal no. ofcommunities

No. ofcommunitiesvisited

No. ofimpactedcommunities

% of communitiesvisited that wereimpacted

No. of recentvictims

Montes deMara region

146 106 16 15 7

Southeastern 95 76 24 32 4

60 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Simon Wooldridge, MAG, 13 April 2010. 61EC Anuncio de Licitacin de Contrato de Servicios, Estudio de Impacto Socioeconmico de las Minas Antipersonal y Municin sin Explotaren ColombiaEISEC ColombiaAmria el Sur (Announcement of Tender, Landmine and UXO Socio-economic Impact SurveyEISECColombiaSout Ameria) e.europa.eu.62 Interview with Ulrich Tietze, EC Technical Advisor to PAICMA, in Cartagena, 29 November 2009.63 Interview with Ulrich Tietze, EC Technical Advisor to PAICMA, in Geneva, 24 June 2010.64 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 12 August 2009.65 Consortium Col-LIS Lanmine Impat Survey Final Report 8 July 2010 www.ol-lis.info.66 Ibid.


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AntioquiadepartmentWestern Nariodepartment

297 22 15 68 3

Catatumbo,Norte deSantanderdepartment

159 30 4 13 3

Total 697 234 59 25 17

The survey was not without its problems and challenges. Surveys were not conducted at the sameadministrative level in all areas. Depending on access, the survey was conducted in the capital

city of the municipality, at the populated centers (entrospolaos) level, or the vereda level,the lowest level, equivalent to a village.67

Lack of access to SHAs due to fear or actual security threats resulted in high area estimates ofcontaminated areas, although measuring SHAs was not a priority of the survey. Often the surveyteams could not get within 500m of the SHA. Coordinates of the SHAs were not taken.

According to the director of PAICMA, during the pilot survey the surveyors and communityinterviewees were very cautious in deciding whether to make a visit for a survey. In someinstances in Norte de Santander and Nario departments the survey teams elected not to go tocertain locations. Moreover, due to security concerns the survey was eventually abandoned in

Nario.

68

Non-technical survey

It is reported that three platoons from the Colombian army cancelled 7.97km2 of land in 2009.69The mined areas at the six bases of Cerro Luna, El Hobo, La Fortaleza, Argelia, La Riqueza, andYatacue were cancelled after non-technical survey.70 According to Guillermo Leal, SouthAmerica Regional Coordinator for the OAS Integrated Mine Action Program (Programa deAccin Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal, AICMA),it is likely that mines were never laid inthese locations.71 Palo Parra PAICMAs Mine Ation Avisor tougt no lanmines werefound in these six locations because years ago the base commanders had ordered that the mines

be removed but never reported it.

72

67 Consortium Col-LIS Lanmine Impat Survey Final Report Consortium Col-LIS Lanmine Impat Survey Final Report 8 July 2010www.col-lis.info. 68 Interviews with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 14 April 2010; and with Ulrich Tietze, EC, in Geneva, 24 June 2010.69 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010.70 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.71 Email from Guillermo Leal, OAS, 30 June 2009.72 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Pablo Parra, PAICMA, 19 May 2009.


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HALO has an MoU with PAICMA to conduct non-technical survey in 11 municipalities inAntioquia department and Montes de Mara (an area which spans Bolvar and Sucredepartments). In accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), during non-technical survey HALO delineates and maps a polygon within the SHA to establish the bordersof the mine threat, thereby creating a confirmed hazardous area (CHA). As noted above,preliminary survey results, which show no pattern of mine-laying, have led HALO to concludethat full clearance of a CHA will typically be necessary.73

Survey in 200974Operator Area covered by non-

technical survey (km2)SHA cancelled by non-technical survey (km2)

Second platoon N/R 1.938

Fourth platoon N/R 4.856Fifth platoon N/R 1.178Totals N/R 7.972

N/R = Not reported

MAG has an MoU with PAICMA to conduct non-technical survey in as many as 10municipalities in Antioquia and Choc departments. MAG planned to begin survey before theend of 2010.75

Mine clearance in 2009As of June 2010, the Demining Battalion of the Military Forces had manually cleared 34 of the35 military bases including 16 in 2009, destroying in the process 1,779 antipersonnel mines.76 Asof August 2010, the only remaining military base was El Tigre, which will be cleared by the endof 2010.77 The Demining Battalion also cleared 22 communities in 2009 where NSAGs had laidmines to facilitate the return of IDPs and the economic development of the community.78 As ofJune 2010, the Humanitarian Demining Battalion consisted of eight squads, each with 24deminers, making a total capacity of 192 deminers. The army planned to add one more squadbefore the end of the year.79

Mine clearance of military bases: 2009 through June 201080

Department Municipality Mined areaAreacleared(m2)

No. ofantipersonnelmines destroyed

No. of items ofUXO destroyed

Status

73 Email from Matthew Hovell, HALO, 14 April 2010.74 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010.75 Email from Richard Hartill, MAG, 12 August 2010.76 Formerly known as the Demining Department of the Military Forces, it was upgraded to the level of Battalion on 2 October 2009, because ofthe greater number of demining units it now has. The operations, the standing operating procedures, and the coordination with PAICMA and OASare still the same as in the past.77 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.78 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010; and email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24August 2010.79 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 201080 Ibid.


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Amazonas La Pedrera La Pedrera 4,785 488 8 FinishedAmazonas Puetro Nario Puerto Nario 1,385 208 1 FinishedAmazonas Tarapac Tarapac 3,781 476 0 FinishedBolvar Santa Rosa Santa Rosa 6,485 86 0 FinishedCaldas Villa Mara Quali 1,170 0 0 FinishedCauca El Tambo Munchique 5,076 27 0 FinishedChoc Cerro Atrato El Sireno 9,977 0 1 FinishedCundinamarca San Juaquin Mochuelo 7,041 188 5 FinishedHuila Guadalupe Gabinete 3,247 20 5 FinishedMeta San Juanito El Tigre 1,396 10 4 FinishedPutumayo La Tagua La Tagua 3,291 30 18 FinishedRisaralda Pueblo Rico Montezuma 2,357 0 8 FinishedTolima Icononzo La Mara 3,439 32 4 FinishedValle delCauca El Cerrito Pan Azcar 6,506 30 1 FinishedValle delCauca Dagua Cerro Tokio 4,245 86 0 FinishedValle delCauca Dagua La Fortaleza Cancelled 0 0 FinishedValle delCauca Dagua Cerro Luna Cancelled 0 0 FinishedValle delCauca Dagua Yatacue Cancelled 0 0 FinishedValle del

Cauca Dagua Cerro Curva Cancelled 0 0 FinishedTotal 64,181 1,681 55

In 2009, the Demining Battalion of the Military Forces, in coordination with PAICMA, theMinistry of Defense, the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation(Agencia Presidencial para la Accin Social y la Cooperacin Internacional, Accin Social),local authorities, and local community leaders, completed humanitarian demining in 22communities in San Carlos and San Francisco municipalities in Antioquia; Samaniegomunicipality in Nario; El Dorado municipality in Meta; and Chaparral municipality in Tolimaover a total of 106,037m2 of land. Humanitarian demining sites are selected based ondevelopment priorities, the likelihood of IDPs returning home after clearance, and safety. Duringclearance operations 114 IEDs functioning as landmines (the OAS no longer uses the termlandmine to describe the problem in Colombia)81 and 45 items of UXO were found anddestroyed.82

Clearance is followed by activities to facilitate the return of IDPs. With support from the nationaland local governments infrastructure such as electricity, water, roads, education, and health is

81 Email from Matthieu Laruelle, Regional Coordinator for Latin America, ICRC, 26 August 2010.82 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010.


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rebuilt. Additionally, the OAS and NGOs provide agricultural inputs through micro projects torehabilitate the cleared areas.83

Humanitarian mine clearance in 200984

Department Municipality Mined areaArea cleared(m2)

No. of IEDsNo. ofUXO

Status

Antioquia San CarlosVereda La Hondita(La Verraquera) 3,140 2 0 Finished

Antioquia San Carlos Vereda Calderas 670 6 0 Finished

Antioquia San CarlosVereda La Hondita (ElPolo) 1,115 6 0 Finished

Antioquia San CarlosVereda La Hondita(Guaduales) 927 4 0 Finished

Antioquia San Carlos Vereda El Choc 4,562 3 0 FinishedAntioquia San Carlos El Vergel 16,711 9 1 Finished

AntioquiaSanFrancisco Vereda El Boquern 27,988 33 1 Finished

AntioquiaSanFrancisco Vereda El Jardn 4,960 17 0 Finished

Meta El Dorado El Dorado 10,144 5 4 FinishedMeta El Dorado Vereda San Pedro 8,449 13 39 FinishedMeta El Dorado La Caja 1,965 3 0 FinishedMeta El Dorado La Miranda 1,872 0 0 Finished

Meta El Dorado La Campaa 1,197 5 0 FinishedMeta El Dorado La Orquidea 2,817 0 0 FinishedNario Samaniego Samaniego 6,327 3 0 Finished

Nario SamaniegoVereda Alto las Cochas(Bocatama 1) 805 0 0 Finished

Nario SamaniegoVereda Alto las Cochas(Camina al Bracho) 1,126 1 0 Finished

Nario SamaniegoVereda Alto las Cochas(Bocatama 2) 3,544 3 0 Finished

Nario SamaniegoVereda Alto las Cochas(Casa lvaro Andrade) 1,776 0 0 Finished

Nario SamaniegoVereda Alto las Cochas(Casa Alfredo Martnez) 1,272 0 0 Finished

Nario Samaniego Chuguldi 2,770 1 0 FinishedTolima Chaparral Santa Brbara 1,900 0 0 Finished

106,037 114 45

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

83 Carlos J. Orozo Miro-projects Help Socioeconomic Recovery of Cleare AreasJournal of ERW and Mine Action, Issue 14.2, Summer2010, maic.jmu.edu.84 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010.


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Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Colombia is required to destroy all antipersonnel minesin mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March2011. On 30 March 2010, Colombia submitted a request for a ten-year extension to its deadlineand then on 5 August 2010 submitted a revised request. The major differences between theoriginal and the revised extension request were the decrease in the number of NGO deminingteams from 85 to 49 in 20142020, and required funds needed during the same period decreasedby almost US$150 million. The operational plan and the assets and funding needed in 20112013 however remained at 17 NGO teams and $25 million. During this period the government ofColombia would contribute $21 million for 14 demining squads.85

The extension request predicts that all mined areas will be released by 2020, even though it is

not possible to establish an operational plan which determines the exact number of squads,squadrons and municipalities where the organizations must operate.86Colomias 20112013operational plan is a central component of the extension request. Colombia had cleared 34 of the35 mined military bases as of June 2010, and planned to clear the remaining base by the end of2010, in advance of its treaty-mandated deadline.87 Fifteen out of 660 possibly mine-affectedmunicipalitiesin five of the 32 departments, covering an estimated 15km2, have been identifiedas priority for clearance by 2013.88

Colombia did not include an operational plan for 20142020 in its extension request because ofthe lack of information on contamination and the uncertainty of the role and capacity of civiliandemining organizations.89

Village deminingGerman Valencia, a representative of the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca(Asociacin de Cabildos Indgenas del Norte del Cauca, ACIN), an organization of indigenouspeople in the department of Cauca, reported at a workshop in Bogot that local communitieshave their own demining teams but lacked formal training. He also reported that as a result ofindigenous groups conducting demining in Cauca, armed groups had responded by killing sixpeople. Nonetheless, a representative of the Awa, an indigenous people severely impacted bymines in Nario and Amazonas departments, thought civilians should conduct demining ratherthan the military.90

85 Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, pp. 5253; and Article 5 deadline Extension Request (Revision), 5 August 2010, pp. 5758.86 Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, pp. 4142.87 Statement of Colombia, Standing Committee on the General Status and Operation of the Convention, Geneva, 22 June 2010.88 Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, Annex 3, Table 12, pp. 5758.89 Ibid, p. 60.90Geneva Call Summary Report on te Conerene on Integral Mine Ation in Colomia 1314 August 2009 www.genevaall.org pp. 2027.


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MAG has an MoU with PAICMA to begin training the Indigenous Guard (Guarda Indgena) inCauca in the steps leading up to explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) level 1 (recognition,marking, safe movement, and safe storage of explosives).91

Community liaison

Community liaison is an important component of the mine action program in Colombia. TheColombian Campaign against Mines (Campaa Colombiana contra Minas, CCCM), CorporacinPaz y Democracia, Fundacin Restrepo Barco, Tierra de Paz, Pastoral Social, and the OAS havebeen engaged in community liaison for many years.92

MAG, in partnership with CCCM and a local NGO in Antioquia, Paz y Democracia, started a

community liaison project in August 2009 in 14 municipalities. As of August 2010, it was beingimplemented in 23 municipalities in Antioquia and Choc departments delivering risk education(RE), developing focal points, determining the most vulnerable groups, and engagingcommunities and local authorities in assessing the possibility of further mine action in the currentpolitical and security context in the two departments.93

Several representatives at a conference sponsored by Geneva Call in August 2009 on integralmine action called for more community involvement in identifying clearance priorities and therecruitment of deminers from local communities.94

Quality management

OAS AICMA is the monitoring body for humanitarian demining, with responsibility for themanagement and implementation of a national monitoring system for all accredited deminingorganizations. The OAS monitors humanitarian demining operations to ensure procedures areconsistent in all demining organizations and that they conform to national and international mineaction standards. The OAS also investigates demining accidents and verifies community liaisonactivities.95

During 2009, officers from the Brazilian army ran the quality management program and trainedand supervised 21 members of the Colombian army that conducted quality control in militarybases and in clearance operations around mine-affected communities.

Safety of demining and survey personnel

91 Email from Richard Hartill, MAG, 12 August 2010.92 Email from Camilo Serna Villegas, CCCM, 20 August 2010.93 Email from Richard Hartill, MAG, 12 August 2010.94Geneva Call Summary Report on te Conerene on Integral Mine Ation in Colomia 1314 August 2009 pp. 2829,www.genevacall.org.95 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010.


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Violence or the fear of violence is prevalent in rural Colombia where landmines are used byNSAGs.96 Deminers, survey, and RE teams and the local population are all affected to onedegree or another.97

Other Risk Reduction MeasuresIn 2009, the government, national NGOs, the Colombian Red Cross, and the ICRC conductedRE in 16 departments and 50 municipalities in coordination with PAICMA. Support wasprovided by UNICEF.98 According to CCCM, there is considerable focus on RE because thereare many regions and areas in the country where demining is not possible.99 Pending clearance, itis necessary to implement interim activities that seek to protect civilians from death and injuryand to facilitate safe access to food, water, land, and other basic necessities of life in

contaminated areas.100

One area where demining is limited is southern Colombia. PAICMA commissioned an externalevaluation of the two-year Pastoral Social RE project, which operated in five departments insouthern Colombia. The evaluation concluded that combining RE, psychosocial assistance, andhuman rights was an innovative approach to RE and should be replicated in other regions in thecountry. However, it was recommended that project length should be longer than two years toachieve full impact. One of the proets strengths was its direct intervention in areas whereincidents had occurred rather than requiring participants to travel to the nearest town or urbanarea for RE. The evaluation found that 70% of the targeted population was knowledgeable aboutthe threat of mines.101

Antioquia is the only department to take an active role in RE; it has contributed funding to REprojects and produced materials.102 Since January 2010, the Colombian Red Cross hasundertaken a total of 41 activities directly benefiting 967 members of vulnerable communitiesand during the same period the ICRC has carried out 60 prevention activities on safe behaviorand victims rights with 1,741 community members and municipal authorities in conflict areasaffected by weapon contamination.103

PAICMA and the National Park Service held eight RE workshops for 292 park employees, and16 parks incorporated risks associated with landmines into their security plans.104 A four-day

96Unite States Department o State 2009 Country Reports on Human Rigts Praties: Colomia Wasington DC 11 Mar 2010 p. 1.97 Response to Monitor questionnaire by Simon Wooldridge, MAG, 13 April 2010.98 Email from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010; and Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, p. 31.99 Interview with lvaro Jimnez Milln, National Coordinator, CCCM, in Geneva, 29 May 2009.100 Email from Matthieu Laruelle, ICRC, 26 August 2010.101Eonometra S.A. Evaluation o Mine Risk Euation Proet 22 Deemer 2009 pp. 3740.102PAICMA 2010 Risk Euation Workplan 4 Feruary 2010; and Secretara de Gobierno de AntioquiaDireccin de DDHH y DIH,Programa de Accin Contra Minas, Informe de Gestin 2008 (Office of Governance, Department of Antioquia, Directorate of Human Rights andInternational Humanitarian Law Mine Ation Program Management Report 2008) Programa e Ain Contra Minas, Informe de Gestin2008 (Mine Ation Program Management Report 2008) Meelln Mar 2009 p. 1.103 Email from Matthieu Laruelle, ICRC, 26 August 2010.104PAICMA Mine Risk Euation www.aionontraminas.gov.o.


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international seminar on RE funded by the EC to build capacity in Colombia was held in May2009. Almost 20 organizations and more than 100 people participated.105

Conducting RE during an ongoing conflict has posed an array of challenges and problems inColombia, including armed confrontation, lack of access, sometimes due to disability, difficultyin attending RE programs because of cost and threats from NSAGs, political bias in REprograms, lack of context and analysis in RE materials, and sessions on the level of risk from thearmed conflict, poor training of facilitators, and facilitators from outside the area who lackknowledge of local conditions.106

MAG, undertaking RE through its national partners in 23 municipalities in two departments,

reported that it is addressing some of the challenges in delivering RE by selecting trustedresidents with no political affiliation with any NSAG from the municipalities in which they willwork; ensuring sufficient funds for the facilitators to be able to travel to the most affectedcommunities; regularly reviewing internal security policies and guidelines in light of thechanging nature of the conflict; developing materials to IMAS which have been field-trialed; andimplementing an external quality control and quality assurance system, including a monitoringvisit to facilitator at least once every two months in the field.107

In April 2010, PAICMA said RE materials were being developed to address the dangers cocaeradicators face in destroying coca crops.108 Casualty rates among coca eradicators are said to bevery high compared to other groups.109

Casualties110

Casualties in 2009Casualties in 2009 674 (2008: 777)Casualties by outcome 117 killed; 557 injured (2008: 160 killed; 617 injured)Casualties by device type 674 antipersonnel mines

In 2009, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor identified 674 casualties from explosivedevices, all of which were recorded by the Presidential Program for Mine Action (ProgramaPresidencial para la Accin Integral contra Minas Antipersonal, PAICMA) as having beencaused by antipersonnel mines.111 This represented a 13% decrease in annual casualties as

105 Interview with lvaro Jimnez Milln, CCCM, in Geneva, 29 May 2009; and telephone interview with Camilo Serna Villegas, CCCM, 3August 2009.106Geneva Call Summary Report on te Conerene on Integral Mine Ation in Colomia 1314 August 2009 pp. 2829,www.genevacall.org. 107 Email from Richard Hartill, MAG, 12 August 2010.108PAICMA Ayua e Memoria (Aie-Mmoire) minutes o meeting wit Vie-President Caldern on assistance provided to cocaeradicators injured by landmines, Bogot, 13 April 2010.109Cris Kraul Lan minestake a toll on Colomias poorLos Angeles Times, 6 March 2010, latimes.com.110Unless oterwise note all asualty ata ase on Lanmine an Cluster Munition Monitor analysis o PAICMA Situain Naional 1990Ferero 2010 (National Stuation 1990Feruary 2010), undated, www.accioncontraminas.gov.co.111 In previous years, PAICMA recorded casualties caused by ERW though, since 1990, most device types have been recorded as antipersonnel


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compared with the 777 casualties recorded in 2008, a continuation of the trend of decliningcasualty rates since the peak of close to 1,200 casualties recorded annually in 2005 and 2006. 112Suspected reasons given for the declining casualty rate included a reduction in overall violencein the country, an increase in emergency demining, and more effective risk educationprograms.113

Civilian casualties (232) made up 34% of the total, similar to the 35% in 2008.114 Of civiliancasualties, 21% (49) were children (41 boys and 8 girls), up from 17% in 2008. 115 Men made up93%, or 170, of the 183 adult civilian casualties, and 97% (653) of all casualties were male.

Nearly one-third (52 of 183) of the adult civilian casualties were manual coca eradicators,

employed by the Program for the Eradication of Illicit Cultivation (Programa para laErradicacin de Cultivos Ilcitos, PCI).116 While this is a reduction from the 76 coca eradicatorcasualties registered in 2008, this was an increase as a proportion of total casualties.117 Since2008, coca eradicator casualties have occurred in 12 municipalities and in seven of these, theymade up between 75% and 100% of all recorded civilian casualties.118

In 2009, casualties were reore in 23 o Colomias 32 departments; however, 57% of allcasualties occurred in just four departments: Antioquia (166), Caquet (78), Nario (73), andMeta (69).

As of 28 February 2010, PAICMA had recorded 8,305 casualties (1,827 killed and 6,478 injured)

since 1990. Civilians accounted for 35% (2,940) of the total and children accounted for 27%(786 casualties) of civilian casualties. The departments of Antioquia, Meta, Caquet, and Nortede Santander registered the highest numbers of casualties and accounted for 47% of the total.119Improvements in casualty data sharing and collection in 2009 were believed to have increasedthe number of registered casualties, resulting in a more accurate representation of the overall

mines. This can be explained by the fact that all explosives that are victim-activated and can be triggered by an individual are referred to asantipersonnel mines in Colombia. Many of these could also be considered improvised explosive devices that are designed to act as antipersonnelmines. Most sources that collect casualty data are not trained to distinguish antipersonnel mines from ERW. Interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrnde Guevara, Director, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010; and interview with Ana Mara Hernndez Montoya, Deputy, Department Against ArmsContamination, and Stphane Jacquier, Deputy Head of Delegation, ICRC, Bogot, 13 April 2010.112 Casualty data for 19822008 provided by email from Mariany Monroy Torres, Data Management Advisor, PAICMA, 5 June 2009; and fromUlrich Tietze, EC Technical Advisor to PAICMA, 17 June 2009; and see the Colombia chapter in previous editions of Landmine Monitor.113 Interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010.114 There were 442 military casualties, 67 of whom were killed and 375 wounded. PAICMA did not identify any casualties among non-statearmed groups.115Ulri Tietze Anti Lanmine Ation ConeptData Analysis, IMSMA 20082009 to ientiy ieas or ousing PAICMAs work in 20102014 Bogot 22February 2010.116 Email from Alejandro Espitia, Advisor, PAICMA, 22 February 2010.117 Interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010.118Ulri Tietze Anti Lanmine Ation ConeptData Analysis, IMSMA 20082009 to ientiy ieas or ousing PAICMAs work in 20102014 Bogot 22February 2010. The six municipalities with the highest rates were: Puerto Ass, Valle de Guamez, Taraz, Anor, PuertoLibertador, and Tib.119PAICMA National Antipersonnel Mine an Unexploe Ornane Situation 1990 to 28 Feruary 2010 (Situain Naional Por MinasAntipersonal y Muniiones Sin Explotar 1990 a 28 Ferero el 2010) 12 Mar 2010.


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situation.120 However, as of April 2010, there were still 680 suspected casualties from prior to2005 that had not been verified by PAICMA and thus not included in total figures 121 and theICRC had information on 22 casualties that were not in the PAICMA database because ofrequests of confidentiality.122 Despite improvements, it was still likely that incidents occurring inremote locations, particularly within indigenous communities, and some incidents resultingeither in very minor injuries or in death went unreported.123

Victim AssistanceThere were at least 6,478 mine/ERW survivors in Colombia as of 28 February 2010. 124

In 2009, no comprehensive efforts were identified to determine the needs of mine/ERWsurvivors. At the national level, PAICMA carried out a mapping of available victim assistanceservices and disseminated results to all victim assistance stakeholders.125 In early 2010, theOffice of the Vice President investigated the assistance received by coca eradicators who hadbeen injured by landmines; a commitment was made to register all those outside existing benefitssystems so that they could receive compensation, healthcare, and physical rehabilitation.126 In thedepartment of Antioquia, a pilot project was carried out in three municipalities to register victimassistance services provided to survivors within the national Epidemiological Monitoring System(Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiolgica, SIVIGILA).127 The questionnaire was developed withinput from governmental and non-governmental representatives.128 Participation by all healthcare professionals in SIVIGILA was obligatory. Following the successful pilot, implementationwas extended to the entire department by the end of 2009.129

Victim assistance coordination130

120 Interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010; interview with Ana Mara Hernndez Montoya andStphane Jacquier, ICRC, Bogot, 13 April 2010; and interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, National Mine Action Coordinator, HI, Medelln, 15April 2010.121 It was suspected that this figure would be reduced following verification because of the elimination of duplicate data. Interview with AndrsDvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010.122 Interview with Ana Mara Hernndez Montoya and Stphane Jacquier, ICRC, Bogot, 13 April 2010.123 Interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010; and interview with Ana Mara Hernndez Montoya andStphane Jacquier, ICRC, Bogot, 13 April 2010.124PAICMA National Antipersonnel Mine an Unexploe Ornane Situation 1990 to 28 Feruary 2010 (Situain Naional Por MinasAntipersonal y Muniiones Sin Explotar 1990 a 28 Ferero el 2010) 12 Mar 2010. 125PAICMA Manual or Goo Praties in Assistane to APM, UXO and IED Victims: Colombia 20072009 Bogot, November 2009.126 A special emphasis was placed on this employment group because of the known risk for mines/ERW and high rate of incidents. Thoseeradicators who were injured prior to 2007 were found to have received the least assistance, since eradicators went from being independentcontractors to government employees in that year. PAICMA, Ayua e Memoria (Aie-Mmoire) minutes o meeting wit Vice-PresidentCaldern on assistance provided to coca eradicators injured by landmines, Bogot, 13 April 2010.127 Letter from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 6 April 2010; and interview with Magda Yolima Portilla Ferrer, Victim AssistanceCoordinator, CCCM, Medelln, 15 April 2010.128 Interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, HI, Medelln, 15 April 2010.129 Interview with Lilibet Arismendy Flrez, Coordinator, Mine Action Program, Departmental Government of Antioquia, Medelln, 16 April2010.130PAICMA Inorme De Gestin Programa Presienial De Ain Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal (PAICMA) EneroDiiemre e 2009(Presiential Program or Mine Ation (PAICMA) Management Report JanuaryDeemer 2009) 2010; GTO-14 Wat is te GTO-14gto14.org; an PAICMA Poltia Naional e Ain Integral on tra Minas Antipersonal 20092019 (National Poliy or CompreensiveAction against Antipersonnel Mines 20092019) v. 7.0 Bogot 9 Otoer 2008.


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Government coordinating body/ focalpoint

PAICMA

Coordinating mechanism National victim assistance committees on information management,socio-economic reintegration, and psychosocial support withgovernmental and non-governmental representatives; Ottawa WorkingGroup (Grupo de Trabajo de Ottawa, GTO-14), forum for coordinationamong NGOs working in mine action

Plan None: victim assistance is included in the National Mine Action Plan20092019

In 2009, there was increased coordination between government and civil society victimassistance stakeholders at the national level, and among civil society, mostly related to

preparations for the Second Review Conference, held in Cartagena in NovemberDecember2009.131 During the year, just one general, national victim assistance meeting was held withgovernment and civil society representatives, to introduce a human rights framework for victimassistance.132 Additional meetings were held through thematic victim assistance committees.Two new victim assistance committees were formed to bring together government and civilsociety actors. One focused on socio-economic reintegration and one on psychosocial support.133In 2009 the National Committee for Information Managementestablished in 2008met threetimes, began to implement a common workplan,134 an was seen as a great avane in tecoordination of attention for survivors.135

Coorination witin te government itsel was mainly ouse aroun ailitating survivors

access to reparations through the Ministry of Social Protection and the Presidential Agency forSocial Action and International Cooperation (Agencia Presidencial para la Accin Social y laCooperacin Internacional, Accin Social).136 There were few concrete activities to integratevictim assistance within a broader disability framework.137 However, at the end of 2009,PAICMA was invited to participate in the National Disability Council (Consejo Nacional deDiscapacidad, CND), due to be operational starting in 2010, which was expected to improve thisintegration.138 Coordination at the local and departmental level varied throughout the country,depending on the interest and capacity of local government officials.139 The department of

131 Interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, HI, Medelln, 15 April 2010; and interview with Catalina Cock Duque, Director, Fundacin Mi Sangre,Medelln, 15 April 2010.132 The national meeting, held in April 2009, was officially called an international meeting because of the participation of international experts.Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010, p. 30.133 The National Committee on Psychosocial Support was established in March 2009 by Fundacin Mi Sangre. By the end of 2009, PAICMA hadexpressed its interest and willingness in assuming responsibility for the coordination of the committee. Interview with Catalina Cock Duque,Fundacin Mi Sangre, Medelln, 15 April 2010.134PAICMA Inorme De Gestin Programa Presienial De Ain Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal (PAICMA) EneroDiiemre e 2009(Presiential Program or Mine Ation (PAICMA) Management Report JanuaryDeemer 2009) 2010 p. 44. 135 Interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, HI, Medelln, 15 April 2010; and interview with Magda Yolima Portilla Ferrer, CCCM, Medelln, 15April 2010.136 Observation during Monitor field mission, 1117 April 2010; and Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010.137 Letter from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 6 April 2010.138 Ibid; and interview with Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogot, 12 April 2010.139 Interview with Sharon Ball, Mine Action Advisor, UNDP, Bogot, 13 April 2010; interview with David Alejandro Ardilla, Coordinator,Pastoral Social, Villavicencio, 14 April 2010; and interview with Jorge Enrique Quesada Ortega, Coordinator, CIREC, in Villavicencio, 14 April


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Antioquia, with the highest number of casualties, was seen as the most active in coordinatingvictim assistance activities, though the working group of the Departmental Mine ActionCommittee (Comit Departamental de Accin Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal) met lessregularly compared with previous years.140 In the lead up to the Second Review Conference,NGOs working in mine action formed the GTO-14 to uniy [teir] eorts an aieve moreonrete eneits or te vitims o antipersonnel lanmines.

141

Colombia provided updates on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the SecondReview Conference in NovemberDecember 2009, at the Standing Committee on VictimAssistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration in June 2010 and through Form J of its Article 7transparency report submitted in 2010, with considerable detail on coordination activities and

service provision.142

Survivor inclusion

Survivors assoiations were represente at national vitim assistane meetings. Survivors an

other persons with disabilities contributed to the implementation of victim assistance activitiesbut this was not widespread and was mostly limited to peer support, survivors associations andsome limited NGO participation.143 Numerous Colombian mine/ERW survivors participated inthe Second Review Conference as part of the Colombian Campaign against Mines (CampaaColombiana contra Minas, CCCM) delegation.

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities in 2009144

2010.140 Interview with Olga Luca Jimenez, Director, Corporacin Paz y Democracia, Medelln, 15 April 2010.141 GTO-14 Wat is te GTO-14 gto14.org.142 Statement of Colombia, Second Review Conference, Cartagena, 30 November 2009; statement of Colombia, Standing Committee on VictimAssistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 June 2010; and Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010.143 Observation during Monitor field mission, 1117 April 2010; and interview with Luz Adriana Zapata, Director, Colombian Association ofAntipersonnel Mine Survivors, Medelln, 16 April 2010.144 There are numerous service providers, both public and private, throughout Colombia that provided assistance to persons with disabilities,including mine survivors, during 2009. Only those that had some focus on mine/ERW survivors and provided updated information have beeninlue ere. PAICMA Inorme De Gestin Programa Presienial De Ain Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal (PAICMA) EneroDiiemre e 2009 (Presiential Program or Mine Ation (PAICMA) Management Report JanuaryDeemer 2009) 2010; letter fromAnrs Dvila Larn e Guevara PAICMA 6 April 2010; PAICMA Manual or Goo Praties in Assistance to APM,UXO and IEDVictims: Colombia 20072009 Bogot, November 2009; presentations by Luis Fernando Correa Serna, General Director of Quality of Services,Ministry of Social Protection and by Marln Mesa, Deputy Director of Victim Assistance, Accin Social, Preparatory Meeting to the NationalCommittee on Victim Assistance, Bogot, 13 April 2010; interview with David Alejandro Ardilla, Pastoral Social, Villavicencio, 14 April 2010;interview with Catalina Cock Duque, Fundacin Mi Sangre, Medelln, 15 April 2010; Fundacion Mi Sangre Management Report 2009Medelln, 2010, p. 8; interview with Ginna Andrea Lozano, Victim Assistance Officer, OAS, Bogot, 12 April 2010; response to Monitorquestionnaire by Jorge Enrique Quesada Ortega, CIREC, 2 April 2010; HI Inorme e Haniap International Ain Contra Minas(Haniap International Report: Ation Against Mines) unate ut 2009; Funain Restrepo Baro Intervenin e orto y meiano plazofrente a la afectacin por Minas Antipersonal (MAP) y Arteatos Explosivos Improvisaos (AEI) en el muniipio e Samaniego Nario (Sortan Meium term interventions in response to Mine an IED ontamination in Samaniego Nario) presente y Margarita Martinez at themeeting of the GTO14, 11 Mar 2010; an ICRC Annual Report 2009 Geneva May 2010 p. 312.


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Name oforganization

Type oforganization

Type of activityChanges inquality/coverage of servicein 2009

PAICMA Nationalgovernment

Coordination, data management,and awareness-raising forgovernmental and non-governmental actors on availablevictim assistance efforts and how toaccess them

Established new agreementwith coca eradicationprogram to track casualtiesamong, and attention to,coca eradicators

Ministry of SocialProtection

Nationalgovernment

Administration of the Solidarity andGuarantee Fund (Fondo deSolidaridad y Garanta, FOSYGA) tocover rehabilitative care for victims

of terrorism, including mine/ERWsurvivors

Stricter application ofregulations regarding accessto FOSYGA funds createdgaps in rehabilitation

coverage for survivors

Accin Social Nationalgovernment

Administration of one-timecompensation to mine/ERWsurvivors as victims of conflict

No change, deadline toapply for compensation wasApril 2010

Ministry of Health Nationalgovernment

Emergency and continuing medicalcare; physical rehabilitation

No change

Council of Medelln Citygovernment

Psychosocial support to survivors aspart of its Program of Attention forVictims of Conflict (Programa deAtencin a Vctimas del ConflictoArmado)

Resolution to includesurvivors passed in 2009;implementation of programdelayed to 2010

CCCM National NGO Assistance (transportation and

accommodation) to access services;legal advice; and awareness-raisingon survivors rights and advocacy

No change

Integral Center forRehabilitation ofColombia (CentroIntegral deRehabilitacin deColombia, CIREC)

National NGO Physical rehabilitation, includingmobile outreach to remote regions;social and economic inclusionthrough formation of survivorsassociations, peer support, income-generating projects and capacity-building

New program, withFundacin Mi Sangre,income-generation projectsfor female heads ofhouseholds (survivors orfamilies of survivors andthose killed)

Pastoral Social National NGOwith link tointernationalorganization

Psychosocial support, income-generating projects

Increased inclusion ofpsychosocial supportalongside economicinclusion initiatives

Tierra de Paz National NGO Assistance (transportation andaccommodation) to access services,and legal advice for survivors inCauca department

New project launched duringthe year

Fundacin RestrepoBarco

National NGO Information collection, assistance toaccess medical attention, support toaccess rights

No change


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Fundacin MiSangre

National NGO Support for psychosocial care,educational inclusion, socio-economic inclusion and localcapacity-building

Launching of the NationalCommittee for PsychosocialSupport; child survivorsprioritized as beneficiaries atthe end of 2009

ColombianAssociation ofAntipersonnel MineSurvivors

Local survivorassociation

Peer support, referrals, andassistance to access services

No change

Mercy Corps InternationalNGO

Capacity-building for rehabilitationservices for mine/ERW survivors insouthwestern Colombia (Nario,Cauca, and Putumayo

departments), in cooperation withCCCM

Opening of ComprehensiveRehabilitation Center inNario

HandicapInternational (HI)

InternationalNGO

Training for health professionals onattending mine/ERW survivors;raising-awareness of survivorsrights and available benefits;formation of peer support groups;psychosocial assistance; facilitatingaccess to services; income-generating projects; and inclusion ofsurvivors in local governmentcommittees

No change

Organization of

American States(OAS)

International

organization

Assistance (transportation and

accommodations) to accessservices; support for services notcovered through governmentsupport or for people unable toregister; and economic inclusionactivities

Inclusion of seven survivors

in the Iberoamerican SpecialOlympics

ICRC Internationalorganization

Materials and training support to fivephysical rehabilitation centers;accommodation, transportation, andfood for survivors and familymembers to support access toservices

No change

The most significant overall change in the accessibility of victim assistance services in 2009 wasthe increased regulation of benefits available to survivors through FOSYGA, administered by theMinistry of Social Protection. These regulations narrowed coverage, preventing service providersfrom administering needed medical and rehabilitation care since FOSYGA would no longerreimburse for this care.145 Gaps in coverage included devices for auditory/visual impairments,regular replacement of mobility devices, and follow-up care. Many NGOs assisting survivors

145 Interview with Adriana Velasquez, Social Worker, Hospital San Vicente de Paul, Medelln, 16 April 2010; and interview with Johana HuertasReyes, HI, Medelln, 15 April 2010.


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identified their role as one of filling these gaps in government services.146 By the end of 2009,reforms to the FOSYGA regulations to address these gaps were under governmentconsideration.147 As in previous years, the greatest obstacles to accessing services more generallyremained a lack emergency assistance in remote locations, limited support for transportation andaccommodation, complicated bureaucratic procedures to register for benefits, and anunwillingness of some service providers to assist survivors because of slow and incompletereimbursements by FOSYGA for this care.148

Access to physical rehabilitation services in southwestern Colombia, an area with a high numberof mine/ERW survivors, increased in 2009 with the opening of the ComprehensiveRehabilitation Center at the Nario University Hospital in February.149 The quality of services in

the five ICRC-supported centers improved with the arrival of an additional ICRC surgeon, aprosthetic/orthotic technician and a physiotherapist.150

Some efforts were identified to improve both the availability and quality of psychosocial care forsurvivors, though most efforts lacked the inclusion of survivors themselves in the provision ofcare.151 In 2009, the City Council of Medelln approved a resolution requiring the provision ofpsychological care to survivors.152 Victim assistance and risk education projects implemented byPastoral Social and the Colombian Red Cross both prioritized psychological support to survivorsin 2009; in the case of Pastoral Social, psychologists were newly employed in two projectsites.153 Fundacin Mi Sangre supported the development of a model of intervention inpsychosocial care, published as a manual for practitioners in February 2010.154

For 2009, survivors, including military survivors, identified economic inclusion as the greatestgap in victim assistance services.155 However, income-generating projects increasingly were

146 Observations during Monitor field mission, 1117 April 2010; and interview with Ginna Andrea Lozano, OAS, Bogot, 12 April 2010.147 Presentation by the Luis Fernando Correa Serna, Ministry of Social Protection, Preparatory Meeting to the National Committee on VictimAssistance, Bogot, 13 April 2010.148 Interview with Olga Luca Jimenez, Corporacin Paz y Democracia, Medelln, 15 April 2010; and interviews with survivors during Monitorfield mission to Meta (14 April 2010) and Antioquia (16 April 2010) departments.149 The opening of the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Center was a component of the joint project implemented by Mercy Corps, CCCM, and theNario University Hospital.150ICRC Annual Report 2009 Geneva May 2010 p. 312. 151 Interviews with survivors during Monitor field mission to Meta (14 April 2010) and Antioquia (16 April 2010) departments.152 Letter from Andrs Dvila Ladrn de Guevara, PAICMA, 6 April 2010; and interview with Lilibet Arismendy Flrez, DepartmentalGovernment of Antioquia, Medelln, 16 April 2010.153 Interview with Camilo Serna Villegas, Operations Coordinator, CCCM, Bogot, 15 April 2010; and interview with David Alejandro Ardilla,Pastoral Social, Villavicencio, 14 April 2010.154 Interview with Catalina Cock Duque, Fundacin Mi Sangre Meelln 15 April 2010; an Jorge Ospina Duque et al. Manual eIntervencin Psicosocial para Vctimas de Minas Antipersonal y Municiones Sin Explotar en Colombia: Teora y Prctica a Parti r de la EvidenciaClnia (Manual o Psyosoial International for Victims of Antipersonnel Mines and Unexploded Ordnance in Colombia: Theory andPratie Base on Clinial Eviene) Feruary 2010.155 Military survivors receive comprehensive care, including a pension. However, military survivors who wanted to return to work complainedthat there was no assistance for economic inclusion initiatives. Interviews with survivors during Monitor field mission to Meta (14 April 2010)and Antioquia (16 April 2010) departments.


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accompanied by vocational counseling and capacity-building to improve business successrates.156

Throughout 2009, various victim assistance service providers worked to identify survivors andassist them in applying for compensation under Decree 1290, before the expiration of the statuteof limitations in April 2010. As an indirect result of these efforts, many previously unregisteredsurvivors were identified and made aware of other benefits available to them.157 As of February2010, 65% of registered survivors injured prior to February 2009 had applied and/or receivedcompensation as victims of conflict.158

In 2009 one o PAICMAs entral ouses was te promotion o a uman rigts ramework or

victim assistance, providing trainings to local authorities and NGOs on the legal instrumentsdesigned to protect the rights of mine/ERW survivors both as victims of conflict and as personswith disabilities.159 Colombia has legislation to protect the rights of persons with disabilities butthe law does not mandate access to public buildings.160

Colombia signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 30 March2007. The convention was approved by Congress (Law 1346, issued on 31 July 2009) andratified by the Constitutional Court on 22 April 2010, but as of September 2010 Colombia hadnot deposited its instrument of ratification with the UN.161

Support for Mine Action

In 2009, the Colombian government contributed COP35.48 billion (US$16,674,734) to mineaction. For the first time the Ministry of Defense reported its contribution to clearanceoperations, and the Ministry of Social Protection reported its support for disability pensionsthrough the Solidarity and Guarantee Fund.162 Colombia is the first mine-affected country toreport government disability and other payments made to survivors and their families.

International contributions in 2009 from 11 countries for clearance, victim assistance, and riskeducation totaled $10,502,603. The United States, Canada, Spain, and Italy dedicatedapproximately $2,600,000 to mine action in Colombia through the Organization of AmericanStates (OAS). Eight donors provided $6,054,527 for victim assistance.

landmine and cluster munition monitor 2010

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