Strengthening the Colombian Mine Action Authority

Despite a declining trend in landmine and ERW accidents, Colombia still has the second highest number of new victims registered each year in the world. There were 11,390 landmine victims from 1990 to December 2015 (61% of which are members of the Colombian Public Forces and 39 percent are civilians). Moreover, there have been 1,159 reported cases of child victims. Most worrying, Colombia also has the second highest number of new child victims in the world. In 2015 a total of 218 new victims were reported. Assessment is needed to facilitate planning, prioritization and alignment with other government policies. Mine/ERW contamination continues to generate humanitarian needs, which cannot be ignored.

There is an urgent need to organize and increase capacity for demining, improve national coordination and deployment of expert civilian organizations (currently only two are accredited: The Halo Trust and Handicap International) capable of designing responses for populations at risk while supporting key government objectives . In Colombia, the real or suspected presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) is a major obstacle to providing a safe and secure environment for civilians and returnees. Colombia acceded to the Ottawa Treaty in 2000, committing to the clearance of all mines by 2021 - after an extension was granted in 2010, but the country is far from this target (only five municipalities declared mine-free on 693 municipalities with suspicions), to some extent due to the lack of support of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) towards new civil actors.

DAICMA works to establish the conditions for lasting peace in post-conflict and rural areas. Moreover, DAICMA has a purely coordinative role, and as such, direct operations are executed by field operators and partners.

To assist the Government of Colombia in strengthening the National Mine Action Authority - Dirección para la Acción Integral contra Minas Antipersonal (DAICMA) to effectively coordinate mine action activities to protect civilians affected by mines and other explosive remnants of war

Directly: DAICMA personnel

Indirectly: Civilian organizations within the mine action sector operating under DAICMA's direction. Mine-affected communities

DAICMA is able to lead, coordinate and regulate the mine action sector in Colombia in accordance with international standards, best practices and lessons learned.

Expected results:  

Output 1: DAICMA's institutional architecture, planning and coordination mechanisms are improved to effectively implement a comprehensive mine action strategy and reduce entry barriers for civilian mine action organizations

Output 2: DAICMA's technical knowledge and skills are improved to provide adequate solutions to mine-affected communities, support relevant government policies and support the implementation of foreseeable peace accords

Output 3: DAICMA's monitoring mechanisms are improved and/or developed to implement an effective and efficient quality management system to ensure that demining procedures are safe for individuals working in the humanitarian demining (HD) sector and the cleared land is safe for use by communities

Ad-hoc group of Mine Action donors, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombia! Presidential Agency for Cooperation, Ministry of Postconflict

Organization of American States, Geneva lnterna- tional Centre for HD, Group of HD Operators (i.e.The Halo Trust, Handicap International, Defensoría del Pueblo, Procuraduría General de la Nación

Phase 1 01.07.2016 - 30.06.2017   (Completed)