Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor 2010

Mine Ban Policy
Commitment to Mine Ban Treaty

Mine Ban Treaty status State Party
National implementation measures Law 759; in effect since 25 July 2002
Transparency reporting 30 April 2010
Key developments Colombia hosted the Second Review Conference in Cartagena
in November–December 2009
Policy
The Republic of Colombia signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified on 6
September 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 period
from 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2010.2 Under national implementation measures, Colombia
lists its ―main operational results‖ against non-state armed groups (NSAGs) during 2009 (for
example, the number of demobilizations and captures), and says these should be considered as
official measures to prevent activities prohibited by the Mine Ban Treaty.3
From 29 November–4 December 2009, Colombia hosted the Second Review Conference of the
Mine 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 171
Colombian campaigners and survivors. More than 35 events were held parallel to the Second
Review Conference, including field visits to affected areas, a quad rugby match, and a Youth
Leaders Forum.5
1
See Article 7 Report, Form A, 6 May 2005; and Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 255, for details on penal sanctions and other aspects of the
law.
2
The reporting period overlaps by three months the previous reporting period that ended 31 March 2009. Previous reports were submitted on 30
April 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 se ala o en los in ormes anteriores Colom ia uenta on to os los me anismos ur i os para prevenir y reprimir el empleo
pro u i n omer ializa i n esi n y almacenamiento de minas antipersonal por personas particulares. De otro lado, y en el entendido que son
los miembros de los GAML [grupos armados al margen de la ley] quienes a en un uso ontinuo y sistem ti o e i os arte a tos para ata ar a
la Fuerza P li a olom iana e intimi ar a la po la i n ivil el Esta o olom iano onsi era que las opera iones on u entes a esarti ular
i as estru turas riminales e en ser onsi era as omo me i as o i iales para prevenir las a tivi a es en uesti n. Al respecto, la Tabla 1
rela iona los prin ipales resulta os opera ionales ontra las GAML en 2009.‖ See Article 7 Report, Form A, 30 April 2010.
4
UN ―Final Report Se on Review Con eren e o t e States Parties to t e Convention on t e Pro i ition o t e Use, Stockpiling, Production
and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines an on T eir Destru tion ‖ Cartagena 30 Novem er–4 December 2009, APLC/CONF/2009/9, 17 June
2010. See also ICBL ―Report on A tivities: Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World, 29 November to 4 De em er 2009 ‖ May 2010
www.icbl.org.
5
Second Review Conference, ―Cartagena A tion Plan a opte y international ommunity ‖ Press release, 4 December 2009, Cartagena,
www.cartagenasummit.org
Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Calderón presided over the opening ceremony of the
Se on Review Con eren e elivere Colom ia‘s spee in the high-level segment, and
participated throughout the week of events. Ambassador Clara Inés Vargas Silva of Colombia
was designated Secretary General of the conference. Colombia made statements on victim
assistance, cooperation and assistance, and mine clearance.
Throughout 2009, Colombia played a central role in meetings held to prepare for the Second
Review Conference. It spoke at formal preparatory meetings held in Geneva on 29 May and on
3–4 September 2009. Colombia co-convened a special event at the UN in New York on 23
October 2009.6 Colombian officials also attended regional meetings held in Managua, Nicaragua
(24–26 February 2009), Bangkok, Thailand (1–3 April 2009), Pretoria, South Africa (9–11
September 2009), and Tirana, Albania (7–9 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 Mine
Action Technologies. It also made statements on mine clearance, and cooperation and assistance.
Colombia is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended
Protocol II on landmines. Colombia has never submitted an Article 13 annual report. Colombia is
not party to CCW Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.
The Colombian Campaign against Mines (Campaña Colombiana contra Minas, CCCM) operates
a network of local coordinators in 22 departments and was heavily involved in the Second
Review Conference, as were the Colombian Center for Integrated Rehabilitation (Centro Integral
de Rehabilitacion de Colombia, CIREC) and other NGOs. CCCM has continued to promote the
end of landmine use by Colombian NSAGs and, in 2009, became involved in a new project on
humanitarian demining.8
In 2009, the Ottawa Working Group (Grupo de Trabajo de Ottawa, GTO-14), a group of NGOs
who work on the landmine issue, was established to ensure coordinated civil society activities
around the Second Review Conference and to help bring about a mine-free Colombia.9
Production and transfer
6
ICBL ―Campaign urges ol -out states to an lan mines ‖ Press release, 23 October 2009, New York. See Landmine Monitor Report 2009, p.
288–325 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 Jiménez Millán, National Coordinator, CCCM, 6
August 2009.
9
GTO-14 members: CCCM, CIREC, Fundación Restrepo Barco, Fundación Retorno y Vida, Fundación Mi Sangre, Fundación REI, Handicap
International, 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.
Colom ia‘s State Military In ustry (In ustria Militar INDUMIL) ease pro u tion o
antipersonnel mines in September 1998, and destroyed its production equipment on 18
November 1999.10
The government of Colombia is not known to have ever exported antipersonnel mines. There
have been past reports of mines transferred as part of illegal weapons shipments destined for
NSAGs in Colombia, but Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor knows of no reports since
2003.
NSAGs in Colombia are expert in the production o explosive evi es. Colom ia‘s Arti le 7
reports contain information on mines produced by NSAGs by type, dimensions, fuzing,
explosive type and content, and metallic content, and also include photographs and additional
information. Twelve different design types are manufactured, which include antipersonnel,
antivehicle, and Claymore mines, as well as improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The military
states that the mines are sometimes fitted with antihandling devices. 11 Both the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo,
FARC) and the National Liberation Army (Unión Camilista-Ejército de Liberación Nacional,
ELN) manufacture antipersonnel mines and IEDs.
Stockpile destruction and retention

Colombia reported completion of the destruction of its stockpile of 18,531 antipersonnel mines
on 24 October 2004.12
Colombia retained 586 MAP-1 mines for training purposes as of April 2010, the same number as
reported 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 to
destroy all of its antipersonnel mines previously retained for training. 14 A total of 300 retained
mines were destroyed in three separate events in 2006, but Colombia has not destroyed any, or
10
Interviews with Eng. Sergio Rodríguez, Second Technical Manager, INDUMIL, 5 July 2000 and 24 July 2001. As of 2001, INDUMIL was still
producing Claymore-type directional fragmentation mines. Colombia has stated that these mines are used only in command-detonated mode, as
permitted by the Mine Ban Treaty. However, Colombia has not reported on steps it has taken to ensure that these mines are used only in
command-detonated mode.
11
Presentation y t e Colom ian Arme For es ―Desarrollo Compromiso on la Conven i n e Ottawa‖ (―Development Commitment with the
Ottawa Convention‖) Bogot 6 Mar 2006. Antipersonnel mines and IEDs manufactured by armed groups are constructed out of everything
from glass bottles to plastic jerry cans. The explosive used is normally ANFO (made from fertilizer), but sometimes is a conventional explosive
such as TNT. The mines are initiated by pressure-activated syringe fuzes (chemical initiation), or by battery-operated fuzes and electric fuzes
activated 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. Over
the years, there have been many in onsisten ies an is repan ies in Colom ia‘s ount o sto kpile mines an t eir estru tion. T e Ministry o
Defense sent a letter to Landmine Monitor in September 2005 to clarify many of the problems. For details, see Landmine 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 not
correspond to the MAP-1 mines used for demining instruction. Interview with Luz Piedad Herrera, Coordinator, Antipersonnel Mines
Observatory, Bogotá, 16 March 2007.
consumed any in training activities, since that time.15 Colombia has never reported in detail on
the intended purposes and actual uses of its retained mines, as agreed by States Parties at the
First 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. An
allegation of possible antipersonnel mine use by government forces in La Florida, Valle del
Cauca 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 or
bases, on paths that lead to areas of strategic importance (such as paths to their bases, or paths to
main 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 prevent
eradication efforts.19 According to the Presidential Program for Mine Action (Programa
Presidencial de Acción Integral Contra Minas Antipersonales, PAICMA), of the 240 civilian
mine victims recorded in 2008 and 2009, 123 were manual coca eradicators. They came from 12
municipalities, and in seven of these (namely Puerto Asís, Valle de Guamez, Tarazá, Anorí,
Puerto Libertador, and Tibú), they made up between 75% and 100% of all recorded civilian mine
victims.20
The Colombian army has frequently reported on the use of antipersonnel mines by and the
recovery of antipersonnel mines from FARC and ELN, as well as on the destruction of
explosives factories. One study asserts that NSAGs have laid more than 50,000 antipersonnel
mines, 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 larger
number was not necessary. It destroyed 300 more mines in 2006 (100 each in March, September, and December), but the number has not changed
since December 2006. See Landmine Monitor Report 2007, pp. 267–268; and Landmine Monitor Report 2006, pp. 302–303.
16
Letter OF109-00090099/AUV 33500 from Andrés Dávila Ladrón 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. See Landmine Monitor Report 2006, p.
300; Landmine Monitor Report 2005, p. 264; and Landmine Monitor Report 2004, p. 324.
18
Email from Matthew Hovell, Programme Manager, HALO Trust, 14 April 2010.
19
See, or example C ris Kraul ―Lan mines take a toll on Colom ia's poor ‖ Los Angeles Times, 6 March 2010, articles.latimes.com.
20
Ulri Tietze Te ni al A visor ―Anti Lan mine A tion Con ept – Data Analysis, IMSMA 2008-2009 to identify ideas for focussing
PAICMA‘s work in 2010-2014 ‖ PAICMA, Bogotá, 22 February 2010.
21
Organization of American States (OAS) ―National Pro ile (Colom ia) OAS Humanitarian Demining Pro e ts 2009–2010 ‖ www.oas.org.
FARC
FARC is probably the most prolific user of antipersonnel mines among rebel groups anywhere in
t e worl . FARC Comman er Al onso Cano as reporte ly e en e FARC mine laying as ―t e
best way to stop the advance of military operations.‖22 In April 2010, the army reported that two
former FARC combatants had provided information on their activities in the construction and
laying of mines.23
On 2 July 2010, Panama‘s Minister of Public Security told media that landmines had been found
on the Panama side of the border with Colombia, in the remote, densely forested province of
Darien. Two Panamanian border police were injured in a mine blast there the previous week.
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, 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 military
operations against FARC forces in the departments of Antioquia, Arauca, Cauca, Guaviare,
Meta, Putumayo, Tolima, and Valle.25 Most notably, in December 2009, the army reported
recovering 2,700 antipersonnel mines from a FARC camp in Tolima.26 This is one of the largest
seizures of mines ever reported by any State Party.
In September 2009, the army reported the recovery of 18 antipersonnel mines from a FARC
combatant in Valle,27 and nine antipersonnel mines from a FARC camp in Putumayo. 28 In May
2009, 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 against
ELN forces in the departments of Boyacá and Nariño.30
22
Mar a el Rosario Arr zola an Juan Davi Laver e ―La nueva estrategia e ‗Cano‘‖ (―New Strategy o ‗Cano‘‖) El Espectador, 27
September 2008, www.elespectador.com. See also Landmine Monitor Report 2009, p. 300.
23
Republic of Colombia Army, ―Testimonios Fuga os‖ (―Testimonies o the Escaped [former combatants]‖), February and April 2010,
www.ejercito.mil.co.
24
Sean Mattson ―Colom ian re els planting lan mines in Panama: government ‖ Reuters (Panama City), 2 July 2010, www.reuters.com. FARC
reportedly has turned increasingly to overland routes across the porous border with Panama to smuggle cocaine to the US as more sea and air
police patrols cut off traditional smuggling routes northward.
25
Media monitoring of news announcements on Emisora del Ejército 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 the
FARC. ―Army in s t ousan s o lan mines in sout ern Colom ia ‖ EFE News Service (Bogotá), 3 December 2009, www.laht.com.
27
―Opera iones Contun entes ontra las FARC en Valle y Cau a‖ (―Intensive operations against t e FARC in Valle an Cau a‖) Emisora del
Ejército de Colombia (army radio), 24 September 2009, www.emisoraejercito.mil.co.
28
―Colom ian army estroys two FARC amps ‖ Xinhua News Agency, 15 September 2009, www.encyclopedia.com.
29
―E ér ito estruye m s e 80 minas en el Guaviare‖ (―Army estroys more t an 80 mines in Guaviare‖) Emisora del Ejército de Colombia
(army radio), 27 May 2009, www.cuartadivision.mil.co.
30
Media monitoring of news announcements on Emisora del Ejército de Colombia (army radio) website between May 2009 and June 2010,
www.emisoraejercito.mil.co.
In June 2009, the army blamed the ELN for a civilian mine casualty in the municipality of
Samaniego, Nariño department, near the border with Ecuador.31 In May 2009, a military
spokesperson claimed the ELN was responsible for planting mines that injured a teenaged girl
and her daughter and killed four soldiers in Catatumbo, Norte de Santander department, close to
the border with Venezuela.32
Contamination and Impact
Mines
T e pre ise extent o Colom ia‘s mine an explosive remnants of war (ERW) problem remains
unclear. The government of Colombia has identified 35 military bases as affected by mines, of
which 34 had been cleared as of August 2010 from some 160,000m2 of area.33 The national
database 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 one
event 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, Bolívar,
Caquetá, Norte de Santander, and Arauca).34
However, given the irregular nature of mine-laying, the continued use of mines makes it
impossible to get a static picture of contamination. Colombia stated that the lack of information
prevented it from including a complete operational plan in its Article 5 deadline extension
request.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 rural
areas, around schools ouses national parks in igenous ommunities‘ lan an o a
36
production sites. An analysis of mined areas by the Organization of American States (OAS)
suggests that NSAGs typically place improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in separate locations
approximately 5m apart and connected by plastic wires that cannot be detected by conventional
mine detection equipment.37 The OAS, however, believes that although these devices have been
widely emplaced by NSAGs, better information is needed for planning survey and clearance
31
―La riego nari ense muere al aer en mina o el Eln‖ (―Nari o armer ies a ter alling on ELN mine‖) Emisora del Ejército de Colombia
(army radio), 11 June 2009, www.ejercito.mil.co.
32
―4 Sol iers kille 2 ivilians woun e in Colom ia mine iel ‖ EFE News Service (Bogotá), 17 May 2009, laht.com.
33
Email Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, Director, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.
34
Article 5 deadline Extension Request (Revision), 5 August 2010, p. 19.
35
PAICMA ―Colom ia Fa ing t e C allenge of Anti-Personnel Mines ‖ Bogot 2009 p. 6 www.a ion ontraminas.gov. o; an Arti le 5
deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, pp. 2, 32.
36
Arti le 7 Report April 2008 Form A; see also PAICMA ―Mont ly Newsletter Spe ial E ition ‖ Bogot April 2008, pp. 13, 15; and UN
O i e or t e Coor ination o Humanitarian A airs (OCHA) Colom ia ―In orme Mensual Fe rero–Marzo 2007‖ (―Mont ly Report Fe ruary–
Mar 2007‖) p. 2 www. olom iass .org. A or ing to Colom ia‘s Arti le 7 report su mitte in April 2008, 52 farmers were injured in the first
three months of 2008 while eradicating coca plants in national parks.
37
OAS ―Se tion I: National Mine A tion Pro ile – Colombia, OAS Mine Action Project Portfolio 2006–2007 ‖ www.ai ma.oas.org.
operations. The OAS believes it is imperative that good non-technical survey with land release
and overall mine assessment and planning be a priority in Colombia.38
In May 2010, the Presidential Program for Mine Action (Programa Presidencial para la Acción
Integral contra Minas Antipersonal, PAICMA) estimated that there were about 10,900 suspected
hazardous areas (SHAs)—only 29% of which had geo-reference coordinates—that required
further survey and possibly clearance in 601 (55%) of the 1,098 municipalities. According to
PAICMA, 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 the
security 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 11
municipalities, has found that minefields in Colombia tend to be laid in low densities though they
can be accurately defined and delineated through good survey. The mines are improvised from
ordinary items ranging from glass bottles to plastic jerrycans to larger devices such as gas
canisters.41 As of August 2010 HALO had found one minefield for every four recorded SHAs. It
estimates that if the same ratio was applied across Colombia the true number of SHAs may be
less than 3,000. Based on extensive assessments in Antioquia, Bolívar, and Sucre departments
with a concentration in the seven municipalities of Argelia, Nariño, Sonsón, Cocorná, 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 occupied
or transited by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias
de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo, FARC), or around key locations, such as schools, which were
previously occupied by NSAGs. As of 23 August 2010, HALO had surveyed 135 village
administration areas (mostly on foot), with results showing the average minefield is 7,300m2.42
Based on information from the army and PAICMA that the location of most mines is related to
strategic purposes—transit routes, sites suitable for ambushes, protecting camps, and illicit
crops—Mines Advisory Group (MAG) believes the most suitable land release strategies are
community liaison (CL) and non-technical and technical surveys, followed by small rapid
response 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 the
right 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 Ameri a: How Can We Improve on Su ess?‖ 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.
location.43 In HALO‘s view, the extent of the mine contamination, considering the high number
of casualties as an indicator of danger and risk, limits the amount of assistance that can safely be
provided to internally displaced persons (IDPs) after they return.44
High casualty rates among coca eradicators in Nudo de Paramillo in the Cordillera Occidental
mountain range, the Catatumbo forest reserves in Norte de Santander department, the foothills of
the Andes mountains in northwestern Arauca, and several locations in southeastern Colombia
indicate additional locations and risks.45
Notwithstanding these views and the lack of complete data on the problem, Colombia estimated
it would clear 48km2 through mechanical and manual clearance, and release another 73km2
through non-technical survey in 2011–2020.46
Explosive remnants of war

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

Key institutions and operators
Body Situation on 1 January 2010
National Mine Action Authority CINAMAP
Mine action center PAICMA
International demining and survey OAS (for quality assurance), HALO, MAG, Consortium
operators Col-Lis
National demining operators Army (Demining Battalion of the Military Forces)
International risk education MAG, ICRC, UNICEF
operators
National risk education operators ACIN, CCCM, Colombian Red Cross, Seeds of Hope,
Restrepo Barco Foundation, Tierra de Paz, and Pastoral
Social
The National Interministerial Commission on Antipersonnel Mine Action (Comisión

Intersectorial Nacional para la Acción 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.
45
A or ing to Colom ia‘s Arti le 7 report su mitte in April 2008 52 armers were in ure in the first three months of 2008 while eradicating
o a plants in national parks. C ris Kraul ―Lan mines take a toll on Colom ia‘s poor ‖ Los Angeles Times, 6 March 2010, latimes.com; and
Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, p. 13.
46
Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, Annex 3, p. 56.
47
PAICMA ―Situation National 1990-June 2010 ‖ www.a ion ontraminas.gov. o.
48
Email from Richard Hartill, MAG, 25 August 2010.
October 2001, is responsible for implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, including development
of a national plan, policy decisions, and coordination of international assistance.
PAICMA is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the 2009–2019 Integrated Mine
Action 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 events—a
generi term spe i i to mine a tion in Colom ia t at en ompasses ―in i ents ‖ ―a i ents ‖
―suspe te azar ous areas ‖ ―UXO ‖ ― ea tivation‖ o evi es an ―military emining‖—have
o urre in 31 o Colom ia‘s 32 epartments t e only ex eption eing t e Cari ean
archipelago department of Providencia, San Andrés, and Santa Catalina.50 In June 2009, at a
workshop in Bogotá bringing together PAICMA, the Colombian army, NGOs, and donors, it was
reported 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, PAICMA
reported that with support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining and
the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), progress was being made in the design and
implementation 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 can
access safely. Since the beginning of 2009, Colombia has been assessing a legal framework to
allow civilian organizations to conduct mine clearance operations. In August 2009, then-Vice-
President Francisco Santos Calderón told a workshop sponsored by the NGO Geneva Call that
humanitarian demining with civilian organizations was new to Colombia and that it required
careful planning as well as a regulatory framework to address such issues as safety of the civilian
population and staff, approval of operational areas, sustainability, logistics, funding,
accreditation, monitoring, and the use of explosives to destroy landmines.53
Colombia‘s Arti le 5 ea line extension request envisions ivilian entities on u ting mine
clearance in 2010–2020. 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
49
PAICMA ―Colom ia Fa ing t e C allenge o Anti-Personnel Mines,‖ Bogot 2009 p. 3 www.a ion ontraminas.gov. o; an email rom
Andrés Dávila Ladrón 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 In ormation Center James Ma ison University ―Exe utive Summary ‖ Colom ia Humanitarian Demining Planning Works op
Bogotá, 9–12 June 2009, maic.jmu.edu.
52
Email from Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.
53
Geneva Call ―Summary Report on the Conference on Integral Mine Action in Colombia, 13–14 August 2009 ‖ www.geneva all.org p. 13.
2020.54 As of August 2010, however, Congress had not passed a law allowing civilian demining
organizations to operate in Colombia.55
In March 2010, UNMAS and UNDP both hired technical advisors to assist the mine action
program.56
Land Release
Since 2005, Colombia has reported clearance of 454,454m2 of contaminated land at 30 military
bases and in 24 communities, with 2009 the most productive year to date. In 2009, 16 military
bases and SHAs in 22 communities covering a total of 170,218m2 were cleared. With the
increase in demining teams in the Colombian army from four to eight, humanitarian clearance by
June 2010 had exceeded the clearance output at the military bases. PAICMA reported that as of
June 2010, 34 of the 35 bases had been cleared. It is planned the remaining base will be cleared
by the end of 2010.57
Summary of clearance of military bases: 2005 to June 201058

Year No. of military Mined area
bases cleared cleared (m2)
June 2010 4 18,232
2009 16 45,949
2008 7 38,578
2007 4 18,382
2006 2 3,259
2005 1 4,831
Total 34 129,231
Summary of land release of humanitarian demining: 2005 to June 201059

Year No. of Mined area
communities cleared (m2)
June 2010 19 120,781
2009 19 106,037
2008 3 83,648
2007 2 15,757
2006 0 0
2005 0 0
Total 43 326,223
54
Article 5 deadline Extension Request (Revision), 5 August 2010, p. 4
55
Email from Camilo Serna Villegas, Operations Coordinator, CCCM, 20 August 2010.
56
Interview with Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogotá, 14 April 2010.
57
58
Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, South America Regional Coordinator, AICMA, OAS, 13 May 2010. Colom ia‘s Arti le
5 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.
Survey in 2009
In the absence of a well-defined landmine problem, surveys and assessments initiated in 2009
have added to the growing body of knowledge and understanding about the mine and ERW
problem in Colombia. In March 2010, PAICMA estimated that about 10,900 SHAs required
further survey and possibly clearance.60
Landmine impact survey

In December 2008, the European Commission (EC) awarded a contract to an international
consortium consisting of universities in Belgium and Colombia and three companies, one in
Spain 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 Landmine
Impact Survey, Colombia has adopted methodologies and processes not used in other such
surveys 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 collection
methodology 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 landmine
problem in Colombia rather than areas with the most incidents found in the database. 63 In July
2009, PAICMA identified the southeast of the Antioquia department; Catatumbo in Norte de
Santander department close to the Venezuelan border; Montes de María (a mountainous region
on the Caribbean coast); and the western region of Nariño department as the four areas where the
survey would begin in September 2009.64 Data collection began in November 2009 and ended in
June 2010. The survey identified 59 impacted communities from the 697 communities surveyed.
The survey found landmines primarily blocked farmland, roads, hunting, and foraging areas. The
survey identified 17 victims in the two years prior to the survey. Security issues are said to have
limited the scope of the survey in Catatumbo and Nariño.65
Preliminary survey results as July 201066

No. of No. of % of communities
Total no. of No. of recent
Areas communities impacted visited that were
communities victims
visited communities impacted
Montes de
146 106 16 15 7
María region
Southeastern 95 76 24 32 4
60
Response to Monitor questionnaire by Simon Wooldridge, MAG, 13 April 2010.
61
EC ―Anuncio de Licitación de Contrato de Servicios, Estudio de Impacto Socioeconómico de las Minas Antipersonal y Munición sin Explotar
en Colombia–EISEC Colombia–Améri a el Sur‖ (―Announcement of Tender, Landmine and UXO Socio-economic Impact Survey–EISEC
Colombia–Sout Ameri a‖) 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
65
Consortium Col-LIS ―Lan mine Impa t Survey Final Report ‖ 8 July 2010 www. ol-lis.info.
66
Ibid.
Antioquia
department
Western Nariño
297 22 15 68 3
department
Catatumbo,
Norte de
159 30 4 13 3
Santander
department
Total 697 234 59 25 17
The survey was not without its problems and challenges. Surveys were not conducted at the same
administrative level in all areas. Depending on access, the survey was conducted in the capital
city of the municipality, at the populated centers (― entros po la os‖) 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 of
contaminated areas, although measuring SHAs was not a priority of the survey. Often the survey
teams 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 community
interviewees were very cautious in deciding whether to make a visit for a survey. In some
instances in Norte de Santander and Nariño departments the survey teams elected not to go to
certain locations. Moreover, due to security concerns the survey was eventually abandoned in
Nariño.68
Non-technical survey
It is reported that three platoons from the Colombian army cancelled 7.97km2 of land in 2009.69
The mined areas at the six bases of Cerro Luna, El Hobo, La Fortaleza, Argelia, La Riqueza, and
Yatacue were cancelled after non-technical survey.70 According to Guillermo Leal, South
America Regional Coordinator for the OAS Integrated Mine Action Program (Programa de
Acción Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal, AICMA), it is likely that mines were never laid in
these locations.71 Pa lo Parra PAICMA‘s Mine A tion A visor t oug t no lan mines were
found 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 ―Lan mine Impa t Survey Final Report ‖ Consortium Col-LIS ―Lan mine Impa t Survey Final Report ‖ 8 July 2010
www.col-lis.info.
68
Interviews with Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogotá, 14 April 2010; and with Ulrich Tietze, EC, in Geneva, 24 June 2010.
69
70
71
Email from Guillermo Leal, OAS, 30 June 2009.
72
Response to Monitor questionnaire by Pablo Parra, PAICMA, 19 May 2009.
HALO has an MoU with PAICMA to conduct non-technical survey in 11 municipalities in
Antioquia department and Montes de María (an area which spans Bolívar and Sucre
departments). 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 borders
of 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 conclude
that full clearance of a CHA will typically be necessary.73
Survey in 200974
Operator Area covered by non- SHA cancelled by non-
technical survey (km2) technical survey (km2)
Second platoon N/R 1.938
Fourth platoon N/R 4.856
Fifth platoon N/R 1.178
Totals N/R 7.972
N/R = Not reported
MAG has an MoU with PAICMA to conduct non-technical survey in as many as 10

municipalities in Antioquia and Chocó departments. MAG planned to begin survey before the
end of 2010.75
Mine clearance in 2009

As of June 2010, the Demining Battalion of the Military Forces had manually cleared 34 of the
35 military bases including 16 in 2009, destroying in the process 1,779 antipersonnel mines.76 As
of August 2010, the only remaining military base was El Tigre, which will be cleared by the end
of 2010.77 The Demining Battalion also cleared 22 communities in 2009 where NSAGs had laid
mines to facilitate the return of IDPs and the economic development of the community.78 As of
June 2010, the Humanitarian Demining Battalion consisted of eight squads, each with 24
deminers, making a total capacity of 192 deminers. The army planned to add one more squad
before the end of the year.79
Mine clearance of military bases: 2009 through June 201080

Area No. of
No. of items of
Department Municipality Mined area cleared antipersonnel Status
UXO destroyed
(m2) mines destroyed
73
Email from Matthew Hovell, HALO, 14 April 2010.
74
75
76
Formerly known as the Demining Department of the Military Forces, it was upgraded to the level of Battalion on 2 October 2009, because of
the greater number of demining units it now has. The operations, the standing operating procedures, and the coordination with PAICMA and OAS
are still the same as in the past.
77
78
Response to Monitor questionnaire by Guillermo Leal, OAS, 13 May 2010; and email from Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 24
August 2010.
79
Email from Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010
80
Ibid.
Amazonas La Pedrera La Pedrera 4,785 488 8 Finished
Amazonas Puetro Nariño Puerto Nariño 1,385 208 1 Finished
Amazonas Tarapacá Tarapacá 3,781 476 0 Finished
Bolívar Santa Rosa Santa Rosa 6,485 86 0 Finished
Caldas Villa María Quali 1,170 0 0 Finished
Cauca El Tambo Munchique 5,076 27 0 Finished
Chocó Cerro Atrato El Sireno 9,977 0 1 Finished
Cundinamarca San Juaquin Mochuelo 7,041 188 5 Finished
Huila Guadalupe Gabinete 3,247 20 5 Finished
Meta San Juanito El Tigre 1,396 10 4 Finished
Putumayo La Tagua La Tagua 3,291 30 18 Finished
Risaralda Pueblo Rico Montezuma 2,357 0 8 Finished
Tolima Icononzo La María 3,439 32 4 Finished
Valle del
Cauca El Cerrito Pan Azúcar 6,506 30 1 Finished
Valle del
Cauca Dagua Cerro Tokio 4,245 86 0 Finished
Valle del
Cauca Dagua La Fortaleza Cancelled 0 0 Finished
Valle del
Cauca Dagua Cerro Luna Cancelled 0 0 Finished
Valle del
Cauca Dagua Yatacue Cancelled 0 0 Finished
Valle del
Cauca Dagua Cerro Curva Cancelled 0 0 Finished
Total 64,181 1,681 55
In 2009, the Demining Battalion of the Military Forces, in coordination with PAICMA, the
Ministry of Defense, the Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation
(Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional, Acción Social),
local authorities, and local community leaders, completed humanitarian demining in 22
communities in San Carlos and San Francisco municipalities in Antioquia; Samaniego
municipality in Nariño; El Dorado municipality in Meta; and Chaparral municipality in Tolima
over a total of 106,037m2 of land. Humanitarian demining sites are selected based on
development priorities, the likelihood of IDPs returning home after clearance, and safety. During
clearance operations 114 IEDs functioning as landmines (the OAS no longer uses the term
landmine to describe the problem in Colombia)81 and 45 items of UXO were found and
destroyed.82
Clearance is followed by activities to facilitate the return of IDPs. With support from the national
and 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
rebuilt. Additionally, the OAS and NGOs provide agricultural inputs through micro projects to
rehabilitate the cleared areas.83
Humanitarian mine clearance in 200984

Area cleared No. of
Department Municipality Mined area No. of IEDs Status
(m2) UXO
Vereda La Hondita
Antioquia San Carlos (La Verraquera) 3,140 2 0 Finished
Antioquia San Carlos Vereda Calderas 670 6 0 Finished
Vereda La Hondita (El
Antioquia San Carlos Polo) 1,115 6 0 Finished
Vereda La Hondita
Antioquia San Carlos (Guaduales) 927 4 0 Finished
Antioquia San Carlos Vereda El Chocó 4,562 3 0 Finished
Antioquia San Carlos El Vergel 16,711 9 1 Finished
San
Antioquia Francisco Vereda El Boquerón 27,988 33 1 Finished
San
Antioquia Francisco Vereda El Jardín 4,960 17 0 Finished
Meta El Dorado El Dorado 10,144 5 4 Finished
Meta El Dorado Vereda San Pedro 8,449 13 39 Finished
Meta El Dorado La Caja 1,965 3 0 Finished
Meta El Dorado La Miranda 1,872 0 0 Finished
Meta El Dorado La Campaña 1,197 5 0 Finished
Meta El Dorado La Orquidea 2,817 0 0 Finished
Nariño Samaniego Samaniego 6,327 3 0 Finished
Vereda Alto las Cochas
Nariño Samaniego (Bocatama 1) 805 0 0 Finished
Nariño Samaniego (Camina al Bracho) 1,126 1 0 Finished
Nariño Samaniego (Bocatama 2) 3,544 3 0 Finished
Nariño Samaniego (Casa Álvaro Andrade) 1,776 0 0 Finished
Nariño Samaniego (Casa Alfredo Martínez) 1,272 0 0 Finished
Nariño Samaniego Chuguldi 2,770 1 0 Finished
Tolima Chaparral Santa Bárbara 1,900 0 0 Finished
106,037 114 45
Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

83
Carlos J. Oroz o ―Mi ro-projects Help Socioeconomic Recovery of Cleare Areas ‖ Journal of ERW and Mine Action, Issue 14.2, Summer
2010, maic.jmu.edu.
84
Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, Colombia is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines
in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 1 March
2011. On 30 March 2010, Colombia submitted a request for a ten-year extension to its deadline
and then on 5 August 2010 submitted a revised request. The major differences between the
original and the revised extension request were the decrease in the number of NGO demining
teams from 85 to 49 in 2014–2020, and required funds needed during the same period decreased
by almost US$150 million. The operational plan and the assets and funding needed in 2011–
2013 however remained at 17 NGO teams and $25 million. During this period the government of
Colombia 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.‖86 Colom ia‘s 2011–2013
operational plan is a central component of the extension request. Colombia had cleared 34 of the
35 mined military bases as of June 2010, and planned to clear the remaining base by the end of
2010, in advance of its treaty-mandated deadline.87 Fifteen out of 660 possibly mine-affected
municipalities in five of the 32 departments, covering an estimated 15km2, have been identified
as priority for clearance by 2013.88
Colombia did not include an operational plan for 2014–2020 in its extension request because of
the lack of information on contamination and the uncertainty of the role and capacity of civilian
demining organizations.89
Village demining
German Valencia, a representative of the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca
(Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas del Norte del Cauca, ACIN), an organization of indigenous
people in the department of Cauca, reported at a workshop in Bogotá that local communities
have their own demining teams but lacked formal training. He also reported that as a result of
indigenous groups conducting demining in Cauca, armed groups had responded by killing six
people. Nonetheless, a representative of the Awa, an indigenous people severely impacted by
mines in Nariño and Amazonas departments, thought civilians should conduct demining rather
than the military.90
85
Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, pp. 52–53; and Article 5 deadline Extension Request (Revision), 5 August 2010, pp. 57–
58.
86
Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, pp. 41–42.
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. 57–58.
89
Ibid, p. 60.
90
Geneva Call ―Summary Report on t e Con eren e on Integral Mine A tion in Colom ia 13–14 August 2009 ‖ www.geneva all.org pp. 20
27.
MAG has an MoU with PAICMA to begin training the Indigenous Guard (Guarda Indígena) in
Cauca 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. The
Colombian Campaign against Mines (Campaña Colombiana contra Minas, CCCM), Corporación
Paz y Democracia, Fundación Restrepo Barco, Tierra de Paz, Pastoral Social, and the OAS have
been 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 being
implemented in 23 municipalities in Antioquia and Chocó departments delivering risk education
(RE), developing focal points, determining the most vulnerable groups, and engaging
communities and local authorities in assessing the possibility of further mine action in the current
political and security context in the two departments.93
Several representatives at a conference sponsored by Geneva Call in August 2009 on ―integral‖

mine action called for more community involvement in identifying clearance priorities and the
recruitment of deminers from local communities.94
Quality management
OAS AICMA is the monitoring body for humanitarian demining, with responsibility for the
management and implementation of a national monitoring system for all accredited demining
organizations. The OAS monitors humanitarian demining operations to ensure procedures are
consistent in all demining organizations and that they conform to national and international mine
action standards. The OAS also investigates demining accidents and verifies community liaison
activities.95
During 2009, officers from the Brazilian army ran the quality management program and trained
and supervised 21 members of the Colombian army that conducted quality control in military
bases and in clearance operations around mine-affected communities.
Safety of demining and survey personnel
91
92
Email from Camilo Serna Villegas, CCCM, 20 August 2010.
93
94
Geneva Call ―Summary Report on t e Con eren e on Integral Mine A tion in Colom ia 13–14 August 2009 ‖ pp. 28–29,
www.genevacall.org.
95
Violence or the fear of violence is prevalent in rural Colombia where landmines are used by
NSAGs.96 Deminers, survey, and RE teams and the local population are all affected to one
degree or another.97
Other Risk Reduction Measures

In 2009, the government, national NGOs, the Colombian Red Cross, and the ICRC conducted
RE in 16 departments and 50 municipalities in coordination with PAICMA. Support was
provided by UNICEF.98 According to CCCM, there is considerable focus on RE because there
are many regions and areas in the country where demining is not possible.99 Pending clearance, it
is necessary to implement ―interim‖ activities that seek to protect civilians from death and injury
and 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 external
evaluation of the two-year Pastoral Social RE project, which operated in five departments in
southern Colombia. The evaluation concluded that combining RE, psychosocial assistance, and
human rights was an innovative approach to RE and should be replicated in other regions in the
country. However, it was recommended that project length should be longer than two years to
achieve full impact. One of the pro e t‘s strengths was its direct intervention in areas where
incidents had occurred rather than requiring participants to travel to the nearest town or urban
area for RE. The evaluation found that 70% of the targeted population was knowledgeable about
the threat of mines.101
Antioquia is the only department to take an active role in RE; it has contributed funding to RE
projects and produced materials.102 Since January 2010, the Colombian Red Cross has
undertaken a total of 41 activities directly benefiting 967 members of vulnerable communities
and during the same period the ICRC has carried out 60 prevention activities on safe behavior
and victims‘ rights with 1,741 community members and municipal authorities in conflict areas
affected by weapon contamination.103
PAICMA and the National Park Service held eight RE workshops for 292 park employees, and
16 parks incorporated risks associated with landmines into their security plans.104 A four-day
96
Unite States Department o State ―2009 Country Reports on Human Rig ts Pra ti es: Colom ia ‖ Was ington DC 11 Mar 2010 p. 1.
97
Response to Monitor questionnaire by Simon Wooldridge, MAG, 13 April 2010.
98
Email from Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 24 August 2010; and Article 5 deadline Extension Request, 29 March 2010, p. 31.
99
Interview with Álvaro Jiménez Millán, National Coordinator, CCCM, in Geneva, 29 May 2009.
100
Email from Matthieu Laruelle, ICRC, 26 August 2010.
101
E onometr a S.A. ―Evaluation o Mine Risk E u ation Pro e t ‖ 22 De em er 2009 pp. 37–40.
102
PAICMA ―2010 Risk E u ation Workplan ‖ 4 Fe ruary 2010; and Secretaría de Gobierno de Antioquia – Dirección de DDHH y DIH,
Programa de Acción Contra Minas, Informe de Gestión 2008 (Office of Governance, Department of Antioquia, Directorate of Human Rights and
International Humanitarian Law Mine A tion Program Management Report 2008) ―Programa e A i n Contra Minas, Informe de Gestión
2008‖ (―Mine A tion Program Management Report 2008‖) Me ell n Mar 2009 p. 1.
103
Email from Matthieu Laruelle, ICRC, 26 August 2010.
104
PAICMA ―Mine Risk E u ation ‖ www.a ion ontraminas.gov. o.
international seminar on RE funded by the EC to build capacity in Colombia was held in May
2009. Almost 20 organizations and more than 100 people participated.105
Conducting RE during an ongoing conflict has posed an array of challenges and problems in
Colombia, including armed confrontation, lack of access, sometimes due to disability, difficulty
in attending RE programs because of cost and threats from NSAGs, political bias in RE
programs, lack of context and analysis in RE materials, and sessions on the level of risk from the
armed conflict, poor training of facilitators, and facilitators from outside the area who lack
knowledge 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 trusted
residents with no political affiliation with any NSAG from the municipalities in which they will
work; ensuring sufficient funds for the facilitators to be able to travel to the most affected
communities; regularly reviewing internal security policies and guidelines in light of the
changing nature of the conflict; developing materials to IMAS which have been field-trialed; and
implementing an external quality control and quality assurance system, including a monitoring
visit 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 coca
eradicators face in destroying coca crops.108 Casualty rates among coca eradicators are said to be
very high compared to other groups.109
Casualties110
Casualties in 2009
Casualties 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 explosive
devices, all of which were recorded by the Presidential Program for Mine Action (Programa
Presidencial para la Acción Integral contra Minas Antipersonal, PAICMA) as having been
caused by antipersonnel mines.111 This represented a 13% decrease in annual casualties as
105
Interview with Álvaro Jiménez Millán, CCCM, in Geneva, 29 May 2009; and telephone interview with Camilo Serna Villegas, CCCM, 3
August 2009.
106
Geneva Call ―Summary Report on t e Con eren e on Integral Mine A tion in Colom ia 13–14 August 2009 ‖ pp. 28–29,
www.genevacall.org.
107
108
PAICMA ―Ayu a e Memoria‖ (―Ai e-Mémoire‖) minutes o meeting wit Vi e-President Calderón on assistance provided to coca
eradicators injured by landmines, Bogotá, 13 April 2010.
109
C ris Kraul ―Lan mines take a toll on Colom ia‘s poor ‖ Los Angeles Times, 6 March 2010, latimes.com.
110
Unless ot erwise note all asualty ata ase on Lan mine an Cluster Munition Monitor analysis o PAICMA ―Situa i n Na ional 1990–
Fe rero 2010‖ (―National Stuation 1990–Fe ruary 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
compared with the 777 casualties recorded in 2008, a continuation of the trend of declining
casualty rates since the peak of close to 1,200 casualties recorded annually in 2005 and 2006.112
Suspected reasons given for the declining casualty rate included a reduction in overall violence
in the country, an increase in emergency demining, and more effective risk education
programs.113
Civilian casualties (232) made up 34% of the total, similar to the 35% in 2008.114 Of civilian
casualties, 21% (49) were children (41 boys and 8 girls), up from 17% in 2008.115 Men made up
93%, 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 la
Erradicación de Cultivos Ilícitos, PCI).116 While this is a reduction from the 76 coca eradicator
casualties registered in 2008, this was an increase as a proportion of total casualties.117 Since
2008, coca eradicator casualties have occurred in 12 municipalities and in seven of these, they
made up between 75% and 100% of all recorded civilian casualties.118
In 2009, casualties were re or e in 23 o Colom ia‘s 32 departments; however, 57% of all

casualties occurred in just four departments: Antioquia (166), Caquetá (78), Nariño (73), and
Meta (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, Caquetá, and Norte
de Santander registered the highest numbers of casualties and accounted for 47% of the total.119
Improvements in casualty data sharing and collection in 2009 were believed to have increased
the 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 as
antipersonnel mines in Colombia. Many of these could also be considered improvised explosive devices that are designed to act as antipersonnel
mines. Most sources that collect casualty data are not trained to distinguish antipersonnel mines from ERW. Interview with Andrés Dávila Ladrón
de Guevara, Director, PAICMA, Bogotá, 12 April 2010; and interview with Ana María Hernández Montoya, Deputy, Department Against Arms
Contamination, and Stéphane Jacquier, Deputy Head of Delegation, ICRC, Bogotá, 13 April 2010.
112
Casualty data for 1982–2008 provided by email from Mariany Monroy Torres, Data Management Advisor, PAICMA, 5 June 2009; and from
Ulrich Tietze, EC Technical Advisor to PAICMA, 17 June 2009; and see the Colombia chapter in previous editions of Landmine Monitor.
113
114
There were 442 military casualties, 67 of whom were killed and 375 wounded. PAICMA did not identify any casualties among non-state
armed groups.
115
Ulri Tietze ―Anti Lan mine A tion Con ept–Data Analysis, IMSMA 2008–2009 to i enti y i eas or o using PAICMA‘s work in 2010–
2014 ‖ Bogot 22 February 2010.
116
Email from Alejandro Espitia, Advisor, PAICMA, 22 February 2010.
117
118
Ulri Tietze ―Anti Lan mine A tion Con ept–Data Analysis, IMSMA 2008–2009 to i enti y i eas or o using PAICMA‘s work in 2010–
2014 ‖ Bogot 22 February 2010. The six municipalities with the highest rates were: Puerto Asís, Valle de Guamez, Tarazá, Anorí, Puerto
Libertador, and Tibú.
119
PAICMA ―National Antipersonnel Mine an Unexplo e Or nan e Situation 1990 to 28 Fe ruary 2010‖ (―Situa i n Na ional Por Minas
Antipersonal y Muni iones Sin Explotar 1990 a 28 Fe rero el 2010‖) 12 Mar 2010.
situation.120 However, as of April 2010, there were still 680 suspected casualties from prior to
2005 that had not been verified by PAICMA and thus not included in total figures 121 and the
ICRC had information on 22 casualties that were not in the PAICMA database because of
requests of confidentiality.122 Despite improvements, it was still likely that incidents occurring in
remote locations, particularly within indigenous communities, and some incidents resulting
either in very minor injuries or in death went unreported.123
Victim Assistance
There 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/ERW

survivors. At the national level, PAICMA carried out a mapping of available victim assistance
services and disseminated results to all victim assistance stakeholders.125 In early 2010, the
Office of the Vice President investigated the assistance received by coca eradicators who had
been injured by landmines; a commitment was made to register all those outside existing benefits
systems so that they could receive compensation, healthcare, and physical rehabilitation.126 In the
department of Antioquia, a pilot project was carried out in three municipalities to register victim
assistance services provided to survivors within the national Epidemiological Monitoring System
(Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica, SIVIGILA).127 The questionnaire was developed with
input from governmental and non-governmental representatives.128 Participation by all health
care professionals in SIVIGILA was obligatory. Following the successful pilot, implementation
was extended to the entire department by the end of 2009.129
Victim assistance coordination130

120
Interview with Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogotá, 12 April 2010; interview with Ana María Hernández Montoya and
Stéphane Jacquier, ICRC, Bogotá, 13 April 2010; and interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, National Mine Action Coordinator, HI, Medellín, 15
April 2010.
121
It was suspected that this figure would be reduced following verification because of the elimination of duplicate data. Interview with Andrés
Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogotá, 12 April 2010.
122
Interview with Ana María Hernández Montoya and Stéphane Jacquier, ICRC, Bogotá, 13 April 2010.
123
Interview with Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogotá, 12 April 2010; and interview with Ana María Hernández Montoya and
Stéphane Jacquier, ICRC, Bogotá, 13 April 2010.
124
PAICMA ―National Antipersonnel Mine an Unexplo e Or nan e Situation 1990 to 28 Fe ruary 2010‖ (―Situa i n Na ional Por Minas
Antipersonal y Muni iones Sin Explotar 1990 a 28 Fe rero el 2010‖) 12 Mar 2010.
125
PAICMA ―Manual or Goo Pra ti es in Assistan e to APM, UXO and IED Victims: Colombia 2007–2009 ‖ Bogotá, 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. Those
eradicators who were injured prior to 2007 were found to have received the least assistance, since eradicators went from being independent
contractors to government employees in that year. ―PAICMA, ―Ayu a e Memoria‖ (―Ai e-Mémoire‖) minutes o meeting wit Vice-President
Calderón on assistance provided to coca eradicators injured by landmines, Bogotá, 13 April 2010.
127
Letter from Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 6 April 2010; and interview with Magda Yolima Portilla Ferrer, Victim Assistance
Coordinator, CCCM, Medellín, 15 April 2010.
128
Interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, HI, Medellín, 15 April 2010.
129
Interview with Lilibet Arismendy Flórez, Coordinator, Mine Action Program, Departmental Government of Antioquia, Medellín, 16 April
2010.
130
PAICMA ―In orme De Gesti n Programa Presi en ial De A i n Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal (PAICMA) Enero–Di iem re e 2009‖
(―Presi ential Program or Mine A tion (PAICMA) Management Report January–De em er 2009‖) 2010; GTO-14 ―W at is t e GTO-14 ‖
gto14.org; an PAICMA ―Pol ti a Na ional e A i n Integral ontra Minas Antipersonal 2009–2019‖ (―National Poli y or Compre ensive
Action against Antipersonnel Mines 2009–2019‖) v. 7.0 Bogot 9 O to er 2008.
Government coordinating body/ focal PAICMA
point
Coordinating mechanism National victim assistance committees on information management,
socio-economic reintegration, and psychosocial support with
governmental and non-governmental representatives; Ottawa Working
Group (Grupo de Trabajo de Ottawa, GTO-14), forum for coordination
among NGOs working in mine action
Plan None: victim assistance is included in the National Mine Action Plan
2009–2019
In 2009, there was increased coordination between government and civil society victim
assistance stakeholders at the national level, and among civil society, mostly related to
preparations for the Second Review Conference, held in Cartagena in November–December
2009.131 During the year, just one general, national victim assistance meeting was held with
government and civil society representatives, to introduce a human rights framework for victim
assistance.132 Additional meetings were held through thematic victim assistance committees.
Two new victim assistance committees were formed to bring together government and civil
society actors. One focused on socio-economic reintegration and one on psychosocial support.133
In 2009 the National Committee for Information Management—established in 2008—met three
times, began to implement a common workplan,134 an was seen as a ―great a van e‖ in t e
coordination of attention for survivors.135
Coor ination wit in t e government itsel was mainly o use aroun a ilitating survivors‘
access to reparations through the Ministry of Social Protection and the Presidential Agency for
Social Action and International Cooperation (Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la
Cooperación Internacional, Acción Social).136 There were few concrete activities to integrate
victim 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 de
Discapacidad, CND), due to be operational starting in 2010, which was expected to improve this
integration.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, Medellín, 15 April 2010; and interview with Catalina Cock Duque, Director, Fundación Mi Sangre,
Medellín, 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 Fundación Mi Sangre. By the end of 2009, PAICMA had
expressed its interest and willingness in assuming responsibility for the coordination of the committee. Interview with Catalina Cock Duque,
Fundación Mi Sangre, Medellín, 15 April 2010.
134
(―Presi ential Program or Mine A tion (PAICMA) Management Report January–De em er 2009‖) 2010 p. 44.
135
Interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, HI, Medellín, 15 April 2010; and interview with Magda Yolima Portilla Ferrer, CCCM, Medellín, 15
April 2010.
136
Observation during Monitor field mission, 11–17 April 2010; and Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010.
137
Letter from Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 6 April 2010.
138
Ibid; and interview with Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, Bogotá, 12 April 2010.
139
Interview with Sharon Ball, Mine Action Advisor, UNDP, Bogotá, 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
Antioquia, with the highest number of casualties, was seen as the most active in coordinating
victim assistance activities, though the working group of the Departmental Mine Action
Committee (Comité Departamental de Acción Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal) met less
regularly compared with previous years.140 In the lead up to the Second Review Conference,
NGOs working in mine action formed the GTO-14 ―to uni y [t eir] e orts an a ieve more
on rete ene its or t e vi tims‖ o antipersonnel lan mines.141
Colombia provided updates on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the Second
Review Conference in November–December 2009, at the Standing Committee on Victim
Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration in June 2010 and through Form J of its Article 7
transparency report submitted in 2010, with considerable detail on coordination activities and
service provision.142
Survivor inclusion
Survivors‘ asso iations were represente at national vi tim assistan e meetings. Survivors an
other persons with disabilities contributed to the implementation of victim assistance activities
but this was not widespread and was mostly limited to peer support, survivors‘ associations and
some limited NGO participation.143 Numerous Colombian mine/ERW survivors participated in
the Second Review Conference as part of the Colombian Campaign against Mines (Campaña
Colombiana contra Minas, CCCM) delegation.
Service accessibility and effectiveness
Victim assistance activities in 2009144
2010.
140
Interview with Olga Lucía Jimenez, Director, Corporación Paz y Democracia, Medellín, 15 April 2010.
141
GTO-14 ―W at is t e GTO-14 ‖ gto14.org.
142
Statement of Colombia, Second Review Conference, Cartagena, 30 November 2009; statement of Colombia, Standing Committee on Victim
Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 June 2010; and Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010.
143
Observation during Monitor field mission, 11–17 April 2010; and interview with Luz Adriana Zapata, Director, Colombian Association of
Antipersonnel Mine Survivors, Medellín, 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 been
in lu e ere. PAICMA ―In orme De Gesti n Programa Presi en ial De A i n Integral Contra Minas Antipersonal (PAICMA) Enero–
Di iem re e 2009‖ (―Presi ential Program or Mine A tion (PAICMA) Management Report January–De em er 2009‖) 2010; letter from
An rés D vila La r n e Guevara PAICMA 6 April 2010; PAICMA ―Manual or Goo Pra ti es in Assistance to APM, UXO and IED
Victims: Colombia 2007–2009 ‖ Bogotá, November 2009; presentations by Luis Fernando Correa Serna, General Director of Quality of Services,
Ministry of Social Protection and by Marlén Mesa, Deputy Director of Victim Assistance, Acción Social, Preparatory Meeting to the National
Committee on Victim Assistance, Bogotá, 13 April 2010; interview with David Alejandro Ardilla, Pastoral Social, Villavicencio, 14 April 2010;
interview with Catalina Cock Duque, Fundación Mi Sangre, Medellín, 15 April 2010; Fundacion Mi Sangre ―Management Report 2009 ‖
Medellín, 2010, p. 8; interview with Ginna Andrea Lozano, Victim Assistance Officer, OAS, Bogotá, 12 April 2010; response to Monitor
questionnaire by Jorge Enrique Quesada Ortega, CIREC, 2 April 2010; HI ―In orme e Han i ap International A i n Contra Minas‖
(―Han i ap International Report: A tion Against Mines‖) un ate ut 2009; Fun a i n Restrepo Bar o ―Interven i n e orto y me iano plazo
frente a la afectación por Minas Antipersonal (MAP) y Arte a tos Explosivos Improvisa os (AEI) en el muni ipio e Samaniego Nari o‖ (―S ort
an Me ium term interventions in response to Mine an IED ontamination in Samaniego Nari o‖) presente y Margarita Martinez at the
meeting of the GTO14, 11 Mar 2010; an ICRC ―Annual Report 2009 ‖ Geneva May 2010 p. 312.
Changes in
Name of Type of
Type of activity quality/coverage of service
organization organization
in 2009
PAICMA National Coordination, data management, Established new agreement
government and awareness-raising for with coca eradication
governmental and non- program to track casualties
governmental actors on available among, and attention to,
victim assistance efforts and how to coca eradicators
access them
Ministry of Social National Administration of the Solidarity and Stricter application of
Protection government Guarantee Fund (Fondo de regulations regarding access
Solidaridad y Garantía, FOSYGA) to to FOSYGA funds created
cover rehabilitative care for victims gaps in rehabilitation
of “terrorism,” including mine/ERW coverage for survivors
survivors
Acción Social National Administration of one-time No change, deadline to
government compensation to mine/ERW apply for compensation was
survivors as victims of conflict April 2010
Ministry of Health National Emergency and continuing medical No change
government care; physical rehabilitation
Council of Medellín City Psychosocial support to survivors as Resolution to include
government part of its Program of Attention for survivors passed in 2009;
Victims of Conflict (Programa de implementation of program
Atención a Víctimas del Conflicto delayed to 2010
Armado)
CCCM National NGO Assistance (transportation and No change
accommodation) to access services;
legal advice; and awareness-raising
on survivors’ rights and advocacy
Integral Center for National NGO Physical rehabilitation, including New program, with
Rehabilitation of mobile outreach to remote regions; Fundación Mi Sangre,
Colombia (Centro social and economic inclusion income-generation projects
Integral de through formation of survivors for female heads of
Rehabilitación de associations, peer support, income- households (survivors or
Colombia, CIREC) generating projects and capacity- families of survivors and
building those killed)
Pastoral Social National NGO Psychosocial support, income- Increased inclusion of
with link to generating projects psychosocial support
international alongside economic
organization inclusion initiatives
Tierra de Paz National NGO Assistance (transportation and New project launched during
accommodation) to access services, the year
and legal advice for survivors in
Cauca department
Fundación Restrepo National NGO Information collection, assistance to No change
Barco access medical attention, support to
access rights
Fundación Mi National NGO Support for psychosocial care, Launching of the National
Sangre educational inclusion, socio- Committee for Psychosocial
economic inclusion and local Support; child survivors
capacity-building prioritized as beneficiaries at
the end of 2009
Colombian Local survivor Peer support, referrals, and No change
Association of association assistance to access services
Antipersonnel Mine
Survivors
Mercy Corps International Capacity-building for rehabilitation Opening of Comprehensive
NGO services for mine/ERW survivors in Rehabilitation Center in
southwestern Colombia (Nariño, Nariño
Cauca, and Putumayo
departments), in cooperation with
CCCM
Handicap International Training for health professionals on No change
International (HI) NGO attending mine/ERW survivors;
raising-awareness of survivors’
rights and available benefits;
formation of peer support groups;
psychosocial assistance; facilitating
access to services; income-
generating projects; and inclusion of
survivors in local government
committees
Organization of International Assistance (transportation and Inclusion of seven survivors
American States organization accommodations) to access in the Iberoamerican Special
(OAS) services; support for services not Olympics
covered through government
support or for people unable to
register; and economic inclusion
activities
ICRC International Materials and training support to five No change
organization physical rehabilitation centers;
accommodation, transportation, and
food for survivors and family
members to support access to
services
The most significant overall change in the accessibility of victim assistance services in 2009 was
the increased regulation of benefits available to survivors through FOSYGA, administered by the
Ministry of Social Protection. These regulations narrowed coverage, preventing service providers
from administering needed medical and rehabilitation care since FOSYGA would no longer
reimburse 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, Medellín, 16 April 2010; and interview with Johana Huertas
Reyes, HI, Medellín, 15 April 2010.
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 government
consideration.147 As in previous years, the greatest obstacles to accessing services more generally
remained a lack emergency assistance in remote locations, limited support for transportation and
accommodation, complicated bureaucratic procedures to register for benefits, and an
unwillingness of some service providers to assist survivors because of slow and incomplete
reimbursements by FOSYGA for this care.148
Access to physical rehabilitation services in southwestern Colombia, an area with a high number
of mine/ERW survivors, increased in 2009 with the opening of the Comprehensive
Rehabilitation Center at the Nariño University Hospital in February. 149 The quality of services in
the five ICRC-supported centers improved with the arrival of an additional ICRC surgeon, a
prosthetic/orthotic technician and a physiotherapist.150
Some efforts were identified to improve both the availability and quality of psychosocial care for
survivors, though most efforts lacked the inclusion of survivors themselves in the provision of
care.151 In 2009, the City Council of Medellín approved a resolution requiring the provision of
psychological care to survivors.152 Victim assistance and risk education projects implemented by
Pastoral Social and the Colombian Red Cross both prioritized psychological support to survivors
in 2009; in the case of Pastoral Social, psychologists were newly employed in two project
sites.153 Fundación Mi Sangre supported the development of a model of intervention in
psychosocial care, published as a manual for practitioners in February 2010.154
For 2009, survivors, including military survivors, identified economic inclusion as the greatest
gap in victim assistance services.155 However, income-generating projects increasingly were
146
Observations during Monitor field mission, 11–17 April 2010; and interview with Ginna Andrea Lozano, OAS, Bogotá, 12 April 2010.
147
Presentation by the Luis Fernando Correa Serna, Ministry of Social Protection, Preparatory Meeting to the National Committee on Victim
Assistance, Bogotá, 13 April 2010.
148
Interview with Olga Lucía Jimenez, Corporación Paz y Democracia, Medellín, 15 April 2010; and interviews with survivors during Monitor
field 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 the
Nariño University Hospital.
150
ICRC ―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 Andrés Dávila Ladrón de Guevara, PAICMA, 6 April 2010; and interview with Lilibet Arismendy Flórez, Departmental
Government of Antioquia, Medellín, 16 April 2010.
153
Interview with Camilo Serna Villegas, Operations Coordinator, CCCM, Bogotá, 15 April 2010; and interview with David Alejandro Ardilla,
Pastoral Social, Villavicencio, 14 April 2010.
154
Interview with Catalina Cock Duque, Fundación Mi Sangre Me ell n 15 April 2010; an Jorge Ospina Duque et al. ―Manual e
Intervención Psicosocial para Víctimas de Minas Antipersonal y Municiones Sin Explotar en Colombia: Teoría y Práctica a Partir de la Evidencia
Cl ni a‖ (―Manual o Psy oso ial International for Victims of Antipersonnel Mines and Unexploded Ordnance in Colombia: Theory and
Pra ti e Base on Clini al Evi en e‖) Fe ruary 2010.
155
Military survivors receive comprehensive care, including a pension. However, military survivors who wanted to return to work complained
that 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.
accompanied by vocational counseling and capacity-building to improve business success
rates.156
Throughout 2009, various victim assistance service providers worked to identify survivors and
assist them in applying for compensation under Decree 1290, before the expiration of the statute
of limitations in April 2010. As an indirect result of these efforts, many previously unregistered
survivors were identified and made aware of other benefits available to them.157 As of February
2010, 65% of registered survivors injured prior to February 2009 had applied and/or received
compensation as victims of conflict.158
In 2009 one o PAICMA‘s entral o uses was t e promotion o a uman rig ts ramework or
victim assistance, providing trainings to local authorities and NGOs on the legal instruments
designed to protect the rights of mine/ERW survivors both as victims of conflict and as persons
with disabilities.159 Colombia has legislation to protect the rights of persons with disabilities but
the law does not mandate access to public buildings.160
Colombia signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 30 March
2007. The convention was approved by Congress (Law 1346, issued on 31 July 2009) and
ratified by the Constitutional Court on 22 April 2010, but as of September 2010 Colombia had
not 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 mine
action. For the first time the Ministry of Defense reported its contribution to clearance
operations, and the Ministry of Social Protection reported its support for disability pensions
through the Solidarity and Guarantee Fund.162 Colombia is the first mine-affected country to
report government disability and other payments made to survivors and their families.
International contributions in 2009 from 11 countries for clearance, victim assistance, and risk
education totaled $10,502,603. The United States, Canada, Spain, and Italy dedicated
approximately $2,600,000 to mine action in Colombia through the Organization of American
States (OAS). Eight donors provided $6,054,527 for victim assistance.
156
Interview with Luz Adriana Zapata, Colombian Association of Antipersonnel Mine Survivors, Medellín, 16 April 2010; and interview with
Gustavo Alberto Hincapié, Director General, Corporación Discapacidad Colombia, 16 April 2010.
157
Interview with Camilo Serna Villegas, CCCM, Bogotá, 15 April 2010; and interview with Johana Huertas Reyes, HI, Medellín, 15 April 2010.
158
Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010, p. 39.
159
(―Presi ential Program or Mine A tion (PAICMA) Management Report January–De em er 2009‖) 2010.
160
United States Department o State ―2009 Country Reports on Human Rig ts Pra ti es: Colom ia ‖ Was ington DC 11 Mar 2010.
161
Email from Jorge Enrique Rojas Vanegas, Advisor to Director, PAICMA, 24 August 2010.
162
Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation ―Su irre i n e Aten i n a V timas e la Violen ia‖ (―Su -directorate
or Assistan e to Vi tims o Violen e‖) www.accionsocial.gov.co; FOSYGA, www.fosyga.gov.co; and Landmine Monitor Report 2008, p. 271.
National contributions: 2009163
Institution Sector Amount Amount
(COP) ($)
Ministry of Social Protection Victim assistance 16,720,157,901 7,858,474
Ministry of Defense Clearance 10,837,000,000 5,093,390
Presidential Agency for Social
Action and International
Cooperation Victim assistance 4,984,000,000 2,342,480
Presidential Program for Mine Clearance, victim assistance, risk
Action education, advocacy 2,937,000,000 1,380,390
Total 35,478,157,901 16,674,734
International contributions: 2009164

Donor Sector Amount Amount
(national ($)
currency)
US Clearance, victim assistance, risk education $3,258,163 3,258,163
Spain Clearance, victim assistance, risk education €1,588,315 2,213,317
Norway Victim assistance NOK10,052,000 1,597,866
Japan Clearance, victim assistance ¥141,388,000 1,508,610
Canada Clearance, victim assistance C$646,819 566,788
Switzerland Victim assistance CHF551,000 507,366
Belgium Risk education, survey €208,659 290,766
Germany Victim assistance €200,000 278,700
United
Kingdom Clearance £101,270 158,599
Italy Victim assistance €50,627 70,549
Netherlands Clearance €37,229 51,879
Total 10,502,603
Summary of contributions: 2005–2009165

Year National International Total
contributions contributions contributions
($) ($) ($)
2009 16,674,734 10,502,603 27,177,337
163
Average exchange rate for 2009: COP1=US$0.00047. Oanda, www.oanda.com.
164
Email from Klaus Koppetsch, Desk Officer, Mine Action Task Force for Humanitarian Aid, German Federal Foreign Office, 8 April 2010;
response to Monitor questionnaire by Ira Amin, Intern, Multilateral Peace Policy Section, Directorate of Political Affairs, Political Affairs
Division IV, Human Security, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, 20 April 2010; email from Miki Nagashima, Conventional Arms Division,
Disarmament, Non-proliferation and Science Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 13 May 2010; Italy Convention on Conventional Weapons
Amended Protocol II Article 13 Report, Form B, 25 September 2009; Spain Article 7 Report, Form J, 30 April 2010; response to Monitor
questionnaire by Vilde Rosén, Advisor, Humanitarian Disarmament Department for UN, Peace and Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, 13 April 2010; and US Department o State ―To Walk t e Eart in Sa ety 2010 ‖ Was ington, DC, July 2010. Average exchange rates
for 2009: €1=US$1.3935; NOK=US$0.15896; ¥=US$0.01067; C$=US$0.87627; CHF1=US$0.92081; £1=US$1.5661. US Fe eral Reserve ―List
o Ex ange Rates (Annual) ‖ 4 January 2010.
165
See Landmine Monitor Report 2009, pp. 323–325; Landmine Monitor Report 2008, p. 276; and Landmine Monitor Report 2007, p. 290.
2008 942,000 9,139,472 10,081,472
2007 1,332,500 8,785,053 10,117,553
2006 1,127,280 4,336,602 5,463,882
2005 213,000 2,332,300 2,545,300
Total 20,289,514 35,096,030 55,358,544
Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions
Convention on Cluster Munitions status Signatory
Participation in Convention on Cluster Munitions Attended global conferences in Berlin in June 2009 and
meetings Santiago in June 2010, as well as a regional meeting in
Santiago in September 2009
Key developments Ratification process underway; completed stockpile destruction
in November 2009
Policy
The Republic of Colombia signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008.
The ratification process is underway. As of August 2010, the ratification of the convention had
been analyzed by a Colombian Senate Committee and was due to be considered by the full
Senate later in the year.166 In June 2010, a government official informed the CMC that
ratification of the convention had been delayed by congressional elections held in March 2010
and the presidential elections held in May–June 2010.167
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had worked in cooperation with the Ministry of
Defense during 2009 to prepare documentation for congressional approval of the convention, but
due to the busy legislative schedule in 2009, Senate consideration of ratification was postponed
until 2010.168 In June 2009, Colombia had told other states that it was in the initial stages of its
rati i ation pro ess w i was ―lengt y ue to internal pro e ures.‖169
Since signing the convention, Colombia has shown strong interest in its implementation and
universalization. Colombia participated in the Berlin Conference on the Destruction of Cluster
Munitions in June 2009, where it gave a presentation on national planning of stockpile
destruction. Colombia also gave a presentation on stockpile destruction at the Regional
Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean on Cluster Munitions held in Santiago, Chile in
166
Email from Camilo Serna Villegas, Operations Coordinator, CCCM, 11 August 2010.
167
Meeting with delegation of Colombia, International Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Santiago, 7–9 June 2010. Notes by
the CMC.
168
Response to Monitor questionnaire by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 March 2010. In March 2009, Ministry of Defense officials stated
that the documentation required for Congress to ratify the treaty was being prepared. ICBL/CCCM meeting with the Ministry of Defense, Bogotá,
6 March 2009. Notes by CCCM.
169
Statement of Colombia, Berlin Conference on the Destruction of Cluster Munitions, 26 June 2010. Notes by AOAV.
September 2009, where it urged states to start their stockpile destruction early. Colombia also
attended the International Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions held in Santiago,
Chile in June 2010.
On 2 December 2009, Colombia co-hosted an event with Lao PDR during the Second Review
Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in Cartagena, Colombia to promote the Convention on
Cluster Munitions. Colom ia‘s Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs Dr. Adriana Mejía
Hernández spoke at the event.170
Colombia is a member of the Lao Support Group, a voluntary group of states which is tasked
with advancing preparations for the First Meeting of States Parties to be held in Lao PDR in
November 2010. In particular, Colombia is assisting with matters related to international
cooperation and assistance.
In a March 2010 response to a Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor questionnaire, Colombia
made known its views on certain important issues related to interpretation and implementation of
the convention.171 T e government ―a solutely re e ts an pro i its any manner of transfer or
storage of foreign cluster bombs in Colombian territory,‖ as well as ―military operations wit
states not party to the convention in which they carry out exercises or actions prohibited by the
Convention.‖ It also prohibits investment in production of cluster munitions. In addition,
―Colom ia onsi ers t at t e ountries t at are still not a part o t is onvention an take steps
toward honoring t e spirit o t e onvention.‖
Colombia was not an early supporter of a ban on cluster munitions, and did not participate much
in the Oslo Process that produced the convention. It did not attend the formal negotiations in
Dublin in May 2008. However, Colombia signed the convention when it first opened for
signature in Oslo in De em er 2008 saying t at it was t e ― umanitarian impa t‖ o luster
munitions that le to Colom ia‘s e ision to sign.172
Colombia is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but has not ratified
Protocol V on explosive remnants of war. In 2009, Colombia stated its view that the Convention
on Cluster Munitions represents ―signi i ant progress in international umanitarian law‖ an
cautioned that CCW work on luster munitions not ―run ounter to international stan ar s‖ set
by the ban convention.173 Colombia did not make any statements during the CCW deliberations
on cluster munitions in 2010 through July.
Use, production, and transfer

170
Response to Monitor questionnaire by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 26 March 2010.
171
Ibid.
172
For etail on Colom ia‘s poli y and practice regarding cluster munitions through early 2009, see Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action,
Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice (Ottawa: Mines Action Canada, May 2009), pp. 58–59.
173
Statement of Colombia, CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Cluster Munitions, Geneva, 16 February 2009. Notes by AOAV.
In March 2010, Colombia confirmed that its armed forces had used and stored cluster munitions
in the past, namely CB-250K and ARC-32 cluster munitions, prior to signing the convention.
However, it declined to specify the quantity or time period when these weapons were used.174
In May 2009, during an event to destroy the last of Colom ia‘s sto kpile o CB-250K cluster
munitions, Colom ia‘s Minister o De ense Juan Manuel Santos said the weapon had been used
in the past ―to destroy clandestine airstrips and camps held by illegal armed groups,‖ but
sometimes the submunitions i not explo e an ― e ame a anger to t e ivilian population.‖175
Colombia is not known to have produced cluster munitions. It imported them from Chile and
Israel. In March 2010, Colombia stated that it ―has not transferred Cluster Bombs to a third
state.‖176
Stockpile destruction
On 24 November 2009, Colombia announced the completion of the destruction of its stockpile of
cluster munitions. The commander of the Colombian armed forces, Freddy Padilla de León, said,
―Now we an declare with great satisfaction, and in compliance with the Oslo Convention [on
Cluster Munitions], that there are no cluster bombs of any type left under the control of the
Armed Forces of Colombia.‖177
On that day, Colombia finished destruction of its stock of 31 ARC-32 cluster bombs. Earlier, on
7 May 2009, it finished destruction of its stock of 41 CB-250K cluster bombs.178 In total, it
destroyed 72 cluster munitions containing 10,832 submunitions.
The CB-250K bombs were produced by Chile, each contains 240 submunitions. The ARC-32
bomb is apparently a 350kg weapon containing 32 antirunway submunitions produced by
Israel.179
Colombia destroyed all 41 CB-250K cluster munitions in April and May 2009 at the Marandúa
Air Force Base in Terecay municipality, Vichada department. On 7 May 2010, a destruction
event was held at Marandúa, with participation by Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos,
diplomats from 14 countries, and civil society representatives including the Campaña
Colombiana contra Minas (CCCM).180
174
175
Carlos Osorio ―Colom ia estruye sus ltimas om as e tipo ra imo‖ (―Colom ia estroys its last luster om s‖) Agence France-Presse, 7
May 2009.
176
177
Ibid.
178
Ibid. This document refers in some places to 41 bombs and in other places to 42 bombs. In the past, Colombia has indicated 41.
179
Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor is unfamiliar with the ARC-32 bomb and its technical details. The information provided here came
from a CMC meeting with the Colombian delegation to the Quito Regional Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 7 November
2008.
180
Presentation y Ma . Arnau Penent ‘Izarn Group Coor inator o Do trine an Legal Counsel, Ministry of Defense, Regional Conference for
Latin America and the Caribbean on Cluster Munitions, Santiago, 14 September 2009. Notes y t e CMC. See also ―Colom ia estruye sus
Colombia destroyed its stock of 31 ARC-32 cluster bombs in October and November 2009. On
24 November 2009, the last ARC-32 cluster bombs were destroyed Marandúa Air Force Base in
an event witnessed by CCCM and others. As noted above, the Commander of the Colombian
armed forces declared that Colombia had fulfilled its Convention on Cluster Munition stockpile
destruction obligation.181
In response to inquiries since then about the possible existence of other stocks of cluster
munitions, Colom ia stresse t at t e military or es ― urrently o not ave any type o luster
munitions; the different types of cluster munitions that were under the control of the Military
For es ave een estroye .‖182
In November 2008, the CMC received information from Colombian military sources that in
addition to the CB-250K and ARC-32 cluster bombs, Colombia also possessed M971 120mm
mortar projectiles produced by Israel which contain 24 dual purpose improved conventional
munitions (DPICM) self-destructing submunitions, as well as AN-M41 ― luster a apters.‖183
In May 2010 t e army‘s Dire tor o Artillery replie to a Human Rig ts Wat inquiry a out
t e M971 mortars t at ― urrently t e Ta ti al Artillery Units o not ave t e type o munitions
mentioned in your letter.‖184 In August 2010 an o i ial state ―Wit respe t to t e M971
munitions, the Army had these in the past, but currently the Tactical Artillery Units do not have
t is or any type‖ o luster munition.185 It is not known when the mortars were destroyed.
In anot er May 2010 letter t e omman er o t e Air For e wrote ―Wit respe t to t e AN-
M41 om s t e Air For e urrently oes not ave a sto k‖ an as ―a an one t e a quisition‖
o su om s. He also note t at ―t is type o armament is not considered a cluster munition by
t e Oslo Convention.‖186
In keeping with its June 2009 declaration, Colombia has decided not to retain any cluster
munitions or submunitions for training or development purposes.187
ltimas om as e tipo ra imo‖ (―Colom ia estroys its last luster om s‖) AFP 7 May 2009; an Luis Al erto Mi o Rue a ―E er ito etonó
armamento en Marandúa‖ (―Army explo es weapons in Maran a‖) El Tiempo, 8 May 2009.
181
182
Letter No. 48260 rom Ma . Arnau Penent ‘Izarn Ministry o De ense 3 June 2010.
183
CMC meeting with the Colombian delegation to the Quito Regional Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, 7 November 2008.
Notes by the CMC.
184
Letter No. 20104300429131 from Lt.-Col. Juan Manuel Sanchez Rosas, Director of Artillery, 31 May 2010.
185
Email from Diana Rodríguez Uribe, Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Department, Ministry of Defense, 12 August 2010.
186
Letter No. 20102300506963 from Maj.-Gen. Julio Alberto Gonzalez Ruiz, Commander, Colombian Air Force, 31 May 2010.
187
Statement of Colombia, Berlin Conference on the Destruction of Cluster Munitions, 25 June 2009. Notes by AOAV.

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor 2010

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Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor 2010

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Mine Ban Policy

Commitment to Mine Ban Treaty

Production and transfer

Stockpile destruction and retention

Use by non-state armed groups

Explosive remnants of war

Mine Action Program

The National Interministerial Commission on Antipersonnel Mine Action (Comisión

Summary of clearance of military bases: 2005 to June 201058

Summary of land release of humanitarian demining: 2005 to June 201059

Landmine impact survey

Preliminary survey results as July 201066

MAG has an MoU with PAICMA to conduct non-technical survey in as many as 10

Mine clearance in 2009

Mine clearance of military bases: 2009 through June 201080

Humanitarian mine clearance in 200984

Compliance with Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty

Several representatives at a conference sponsored by Geneva Call in August 2009 on ―integral‖

Safety of demining and survey personnel

Other Risk Reduction Measures

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

In 2009, casualties were re or e in 23 o Colom ia‘s 32 departments; however, 57% of all

In 2009, no comprehensive efforts were identified to determine the needs of mine/ERW

Victim assistance coordination130

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities in 2009144

Support for Mine Action

International contributions: 2009164

Summary of contributions: 2005–2009165

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Use, production, and transfer

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