UNMAS: Regional coordination for Mine Action

As a result of more than fifty years of armed conflict involving various non-state actors, Colombia suffers from widespread presence of explosive hazards. While the full scope of the problem is not yet known, incidents involving explosive hazards have been reported in 710 of 1,122 municipalities and 11,801 casualties recorded between January 1990 and December 2019. Despite a consistent downward trend in the number of casualties between 2006 and 2017, Colombia experienced a dramatic increase in the number of new casualties from explosive hazards in 2018, which continues in 2019. While 2017 finished with the lowest number of casualties in two decades (57), 2018 saw an increase of more than 200% from the previous year (178 new casualties). The figures also show the number of civilian casualties from 2017 has been higher than the number of military casualties for the first time since 2012. This seems to indicate that new explosive items are being placed in areas thought to be free of contamination.

Such contamination poses a threat to populations and has the potential to block socio economic development in the rural areas that need it most. To effectively respond to the problem, the Colombian Government has made a priority the coordination of national, regional, and local authorities. This aims at strengthening the response capacities of local authorities and communities as well as local and regional public policy advocates. Also it further supports the Government’s objective to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Mine Action Authority with a comprehensive approach.

Coordination is key to mitigate protection risks in areas where humanitarian demining is not possible due to security reasons and to improve the livelihoods of affected communities. At the same time it is required for supporting territorial public development policies (linked to the implementation of the Peace Accord) and for contributing towards the fulfilment of the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty’s obligation to have a mine-free Colombia (for which the Government will request a new extension in 2020 to set 2025 as the new deadline).

Mitigating the impact of explosive hazards on affected communities thus contributing to sustained peace and socio-economic development.

Directly: 3.500 beneficiaries

The Office of the High Counsellor for Peace – Descontamina Colombia (National Mine Action Authority), local authorities, civil society organizations, humanitarian stakeholders, victim organizations, survivors and their families, and communities at-risk or affected by explosive hazards in 13 prioritized departments: Antioquia, Arauca, Bolívar, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Córdoba, Chocó,  Guaviare, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander and Putumayo.

Indirect: 14.000 beneficiaries

Outcome 1: Mine Action Centre/National Mine Action Authority organizational and technical capacity is enhanced.

Risultati principali attesi:  

Output 1.1: Mine Action activities are integrated within local and regional development plans and coordinated across the peace humanitarian development nexus.

Indicators of Output 1.1

-323 of municipalities with standing Mine Action (MA) presence.

-1 inter-institutional Mine Action strategy in articulation with other public development policies designed.

-17 local planning tools with MA mainstreamed (e.g. local and regional development plans).

-44 municipalities where referral pathways for victims have been developed or updated.

-310 victims assisted.

-37 Mine Risk Education roundtables supported by regional and local coordinators.

-42 information meetings on Humanitarian Demining interventions with local authorities.

-25 organizations supported.

-300 of interventions to improve MA stakeholder’s coordination.

Mine Action donors, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombian Agency for Cooperation.

The Office of the High Counsellor for Peace – Descontamina Colombia (National Mine Action Authority), Comisión Intersectorial Nacional para la Acción Integral contra Minas Antipersonal (CINAMAP), Instancia Interinstitucional de Desminado Humanitario (IIDH).

Local and regional authorities, Humanitarian Demining organizations, communities, survivors, organizations.

National Land Agency, the Rural Development Agency, the Land Restitution Unit, Reintegration and Normalization Agency, and the National Victims’ Integral attention and reparation system.

Fase 3 05.02.2020 - 04.10.2020   (Completed)