OEA - CP - Resolución CP CSH 2371

PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OEA/Ser.G

ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES CP/CSH-2371/26 3 February 2026

COMMITTEE ON HEMISPHERIC SECURITY Original: Spanish

CONCEPT PAPER ON HUMANITARIAN DEMINING IN THE HEMISPHERE

(Submitted by the Department of Public Safety, in preparation for the Committee meeting scheduled for February 12, 2026) This concept paper is submitted in accordance with the provisions established in the “Structure for the Consideration of Substantive Issues during Regular Meetings (2025-2026),” document

CP/CSH/INF.602/25).

Contents Introduction: Humanitarian demining in the Hemisphere: General framework and objectives of the paper.............................................................................................................................................1

I. The international framework for humanitarian demining .............................................................1

II. Hemispheric analysis: Progress, persistent challenges, and emerging risks .................................2

III. Colombia: Progress, structural hurdles, and the challenge of national ownership ...................3

IV . Ecuador: Progress and remaining challenges............................................................................4

V . Peru: Progress and remaining challenges ......................................................................................5

VI. The role of international cooperation in providing strategic support........................................6

VII. Opportunities for humanitarian demining in the Hemisphere through the OAS ......................6

VIII. Guiding questions for member states........................................................................................6

IX. Guiding questions for permanent observer delegations............................................................6Introduction: Humanitarian demining in the Hemisphere: General framework and objectives of the paper This concept paper has been prepared in accordance with the work plan and schedule of activities of the Committee on Hemispheric Security for the 2025–2026 term (CP/CSH-2341/25 rev. 2).

Its purpose is to provide a common technical and political basis to support hemispheric dialogue on humanitarian demining; to promote a shared understanding of the principal risks, opportunities, and

areas for cooperation within the framework of the Organization of American States; and to guide discussions among the delegations of the member states and permanent observers, with a view to strengthening cooperative, sustainable, and people-centered approaches to humanitarian demining. General framework for humanitarian demining in the Hemisphere Humanitarian demining is an essential instrument for human security in the Hemisphere and aimed primarily at protecting individuals and communities from the risks arising from the presence of antipersonnel mines and other explosive devices. Adopted in 1997, the core objective of the AntiPersonnel Mine Ban Convention is “ to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by antipersonnel mines, that kill or maim hundreds of people every week, mostly innocent and defenceless civilians.” In this framework, humanitarian demining plays an enabling role by reducing direct threats, facilitating safe access to land, and supporting State presence, as noted by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). Humanitarian demining is also a facilitator of sustainable development, as it enables the safe recovery of land, the reactivation of basic economic activities, and the implementation of rural development and infrastructure initiatives. The International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) recognize the crosscutting nature of demining and that it is a critical enabler of development, enabling communities to safely resume their livelihoods and access services, provided that operations are implemented in accordance with principles of safety, quality management, and sustainability. This logic is fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, Sustainable Development Goal 16, underscores the indivisible relationship between peace, security and development, stating that “there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.” In that sense, risk reduction for communities affected by mines and other explosive devices is an enabling condition for strengthening inclusive institutions and achieving long-term sustainable development. In the Hemisphere, Central America was declared mine-free in 2010, while countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador face differing realities in terms of humanitarian demining, shaped by historical, geographical, and operational factors. These realities reflect both gradual progress and persistent challenges related to territorial access and institutional sustainability.

I. The international framework for humanitarian demining

Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador face differing realities in terms of humanitarian demining, shaped by historical, geographical, and operational factors. These realities reflect both gradual progress and persistent challenges related to territorial access and institutional sustainability.

I. The international framework for humanitarian demining Humanitarian demining is governed by a robust international framework that combines binding legal commitments, technical standards, and international cooperation mechanisms, with priority given to the protection of affected individuals and communities.

1. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) Adopted in 1997, the Convention establishes clear obligations for states parties in the areas of stockpile destruction, land clearance, mine risk education, victim assistance, and implementation and transparency measures. The Convention adopts an explicitly humanitarian approach, recognizing that2the impact of antipersonnel mines extends beyond the military sphere and directly affects civilian populations, access to territory, and the effective exercise of fundamental rights.

2. International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) The IMAS are the main global technical reference for the planning, execution, and management of humanitarian demining operations. They provide common guidelines on safety, quality management, assurance, and verification, among other areas, enabling operations to be conducted in a consistent, safe, and efficient manner, regardless of the national context. The standards also recognize the need to adapt international standards to appropriate national frameworks through the development of National Mine Action Standards (NMAS), in accordance with the institutional, geographic, and operational realities of each country.

The application of demining methodologies and procedures to address widespread explosive ordnance contamination is internationally recognized; accordingly, the IMAS have expanded their scope beyond antipersonnel mines to include contamination from abandoned or unexploded ordnance, as well as other explosive ordnance, including improvised explosive devices.

3. International cooperation in the framework of humanitarian demining

The international cooperation framework for humanitarian demining increasingly emphasizes sustainability and national ownership, understood as the capacity of States to lead, manage, and sustain their own mine action programs. In that regard, cooperation primarily focuses on financing the clearance of contaminated land, promoting safe behavior among at-risk populations, supporting victim rehabilitation, and strengthening the technical, regulatory, and institutional capacities that enable States to progressively take responsibility for managing these programs. In this context, international cooperation plays a strategic support role, and its contributions have been a significant factor in enabling states parties, and the sector more broadly, to make sustained progress in fulfilling the obligations established by the Convention.

II. Hemispheric analysis: Progress, persistent challenges, and emerging risks The landscape of humanitarian demining in the Americas is one of gradual progress alongside persistent structural challenges and emerging risks that influence the planning and execution of operations in different contexts across the Hemisphere.

1. Main areas of current progress Since the entry into force of the Ottawa Convention, the States of the Americas have made steady progress toward the common goal of a mine-free hemisphere. This commitment, supported by broad regional adherence—32 States have signed and ratified the Convention—and by a consolidated humanitarian consensus, has translated into the development and implementation of national humanitarian demining programs, as well as actions aimed at reducing the humanitarian, social, and economic impact of antipersonnel mines.

As a result of these efforts, seven countries in the region have completed the destruction of their stockpiles of anti-personnel mines, eliminating approximately one million mines, and seven States have been declared mine-free following the clearance of more than 200,000 mines and unexploded ordnance. While these achievements reflect significant progress, some countries remain contaminated, requiring sustained efforts, international cooperation, and strengthening of national capacities to achieve full compliance with the Convention throughout the region. Through the Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines of the Organization of American States (AICMA/OAS), support has been provided to States in areas such as3quality management, national capacity building, interagency coordination, logistical support, and external monitoring of humanitarian demining operations, in accordance with applicable international standards and the specific requirements of each country.

Organization of American States (AICMA/OAS), support has been provided to States in areas such as3quality management, national capacity building, interagency coordination, logistical support, and external monitoring of humanitarian demining operations, in accordance with applicable international standards and the specific requirements of each country. In particular, the AICMA/OAS served as a strategic pillar of the regional effort that led to Central America being declared free of antipersonnel mines in 2010. This process reflected sustained cooperation among States, donors, and technical partners in the sector to achieve the destruction of stockpiled antipersonnel mines and the clearance of all mined areas. Complementarily, in some contexts there has been gradual progress in the structuring and consolidation of national capacities, reflected in improvements to regulatory frameworks, information management systems, and operational planning mechanisms, as seen in the cases of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, which the AICMA/OAS Program supports in a differentiated manner, depending on expressed needs and the availability of funding for that purpose. These processes, which develop gradually and in accordance with each national context, help to strengthen the sustainability of responses and contribute to the progressive ownership of mine action programs.

2. Recurring structural challenges Despite these advances, structural challenges persist that affect the scope and sustainability of humanitarian demining in the Hemisphere. There remains a high degree of dependence on international cooperation to finance and support operations, particularly in countries where national capacities are still in the process of consolidation. In addition, gaps have been identified in information management, quality assurance, and state financial sustainability, which limit the continuity and mediumand longterm viability of programs and strategies.

3. Emerging risks and scenarios of concern Many of the current risks are linked to explosive ordnance contamination contexts that also occur in highly insecure environments, thereby limiting humanitarian access. In some areas, the combination of mines and other explosive devices with the presence of organized crime and illicit economies significantly increases operational risks, affecting both personnel safety and the planning, execution, and monitoring of interventions.

Increasingly, contamination by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the recontamination of previously cleared areas are emerging as critical challenges in several contexts across the Americas.

economies significantly increases operational risks, affecting both personnel safety and the planning, execution, and monitoring of interventions. Increasingly, contamination by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the recontamination of previously cleared areas are emerging as critical challenges in several contexts across the Americas. These phenomena, associated with dynamics of persistent violence and shifting territorial control, erode the progress achieved, increase operational costs, and prolong community exposure to humanitarian and protection risks. Likewise, changes in the priorities and approaches of international donors underscore the need to strengthen interagency coordination and to improve the predictability and sustainability of cooperation mechanisms in order to ensure timely and long-term responses.

III. Colombia: Progress, structural hurdles, and the challenge of national ownership In recent years, Colombia has continued to advance in the implementation of its humanitarian demining program in a context characterized by complex operational conditions and security dynamics.

These advances have been supported by robust regulatory and operational frameworks, as well as by international cooperation, which has made it possible to sustain operations and progressively strengthen national capacities. In 2025, temporary adjustments in cooperation flows from the United States, the largest donor to the sector in Colombia, led to a temporary pause in certain activities; however, efforts4were progressively resumed in the second half of the year, allowing the program’s objectives to continue to advance, in coordination with other major donors to the sector.

1. Recent progress in enabling humanitarian demining operations Over the past two years, progress has been made in enabling and ensuring the continuity of humanitarian demining operations, even in areas with complex security conditions. The application of new national risk management mechanisms has made it possible, on an exceptional basis, to enable and sustain humanitarian demining operations in contexts with differentiated security conditions, representing an operational milestone for community protection and for the sustainability of humanitarian action in the territory. This approach has helped maintain humanitarian access in

prioritized areas and to address persistent risks to the civilian population, within a framework of interagency coordination in which the AICMA/OAS Program has played a key role in defining appropriate protocols and methodologies, as well as in piloting this new targeted approach to demining operations in the worst-affected areas.

2. Persistent challenges and operational constraints Despite the progress made, structural challenges persist and continue to influence the pace and scope of operations. These include factors related to the variability of security conditions and the logistical complexity of operating in hard-to-reach areas. Likewise, challenges related to operational sustainability remain, including the need to ensure predictable financial resources and to gradually strengthen technical and institutional capacities in line with the realities of the national context.

3. Extension request submitted to the Ottawa Convention In 2025, Colombia submitted a request for an extension of the deadline for the fulfillment of its obligations under Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Destruction of antipersonnel mines in mined areas), which was reviewed and approved by the states parties in November

2025. The request transparently acknowledges persistent challenges, details the progress achieved, and establishes clear commitments for the extension period, aimed at consolidating results and prioritizing areas with the greatest humanitarian impact.

The extension, approved until 2030, together with its operational plan, constitutes a planning and management instrument that will help align expectations and strengthen coordination among the parties involved, including AICMA/OAS.

4. Progressive transition of external quality management functions in demining and strengthening of national capacities.

Since 2021, progress has been made in the transition of technical, operational, and management functions, accompanied by institutional and regulatory strengthening efforts. This process is conceived as gradual and context-specific, and recognizes that effective ownership requires time, planning, and coherence among technical capacities, regulatory frameworks, available resources, and political will. Specifically, in 2025, substantive progress was achieved in the transfer of capabilities to the

Government of Colombia, with a view to attaining full national ownership of the external quality management functions of humanitarian demining by the end of 2026.

IV . Ecuador: Progress and remaining challenges Ecuador has made substantial progress in humanitarian demining since 2000, in keeping with the commitments its assumed following the Brasilia Peace Accords and its accession to the Ottawa Convention. During that period, more than 581,000 square meters of territory have been cleared, and more than 12,600 antipersonnel mines and other explosive devices have been destroyed through a5sustained institutional effort led by CENDESMI and the “Cotopaxi” 68th Engineer Battalion. This progress has been strengthened by significant binational cooperation with Peru, most notably through the clearance of the Tiwinza area and the maintenance of permanent coordination mechanisms, which have consolidated demining as a mutual confidence-building measure.

Nevertheless, significant challenges remain that have hindered completion of the process within the originally planned timeframe. The fiscal crisis, the COVID19 pandemic, and the need to prioritize resources for internal security, health emergencies, and natural disasters have affected operational continuity and funding for demining. These challenges are compounded by the complex geographic and climatic conditions of the Amazon, particularly in the province of Zamora Chinchipe, where hazardous areas remain to be cleared and extensive areas are still pending quality control, many of which were intervened more than 15 years ago. The limited availability of international cooperation for external quality control and the need to modernize equipment and technical capacities represent additional challenges. In this context, the extension requested until 2027 is essential to complete clearance activities, carry out quality control, and officially certify the land as mine-free, with the mobilization of national resources and effective support from the international community being decisive for ultimate success. Likewise, within the framework of the Meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention

held in Geneva in December 2025, the AICMA/OAS Program reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ecuador, fully endorsed the extension request submitted, and made available its technical capacities, while encouraging the international community to work with the country in the final phase toward achieving an antipersonnel mine-free territory by 2027.

V . Peru: Progress and remaining challenges Peru has made significant progress in complying with the Ottawa Convention since its entry into force in 1999, addressing both stockpile destruction and demining in strategic infrastructure and along its border with Ecuador. During the first period (1999–2009), more than 403,000 antipersonnel mines were destroyed, while operations continued in subsequent stages in the Cordillera del Cóndor.

Between 2017 and 2023, these efforts resulted in the clearance of more than 216,000 square meters, the destruction of 6,867 antipersonnel mines, and the completion of 77 confirmed hazardous areas, in addition to activities implemented and planned for 2025. Despite this progress, significant challenges remain that have prevented completion of the process within the initially planned timeframe. The impact of the El Niño phenomenon, the COVID19 pandemic, the reallocation of budgetary resources, and the identification of hazardous areas not envisaged in previous extensions have impacted the continuity and pace of operations. These limitations are exacerbated by the complex geographic, climatic, and logistical conditions in the Cordillera del Cóndor, where access depends largely on air and river transport, which are frequently disrupted by heavy rains. For the 2025-2029 period, Peru has 46 confirmed hazardous areas pending, comprising nearly 279,000 square meters and approximately 4,000 antipersonnel mines; it also needs to acquire and renew

protective, detection, and communication equipment. In this context, strengthening international cooperation is key to accelerating operations and reducing execution times, thereby enabling more efficient progress toward the total eradication of antipersonnel mine contamination in Peruvian territory. Within the framework of the Meeting of the States Parties to the Ottawa Convention held in Geneva in December 2025, the AICMA/OAS Program reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Peru,- 6endorsed its progress report, and urged the international community to continue working with the country on meeting its goal of declaring its territory free of anti-personnel mines by 2029.

VI. The role of international cooperation in providing strategic support The support of international cooperation, aimed at complementing national efforts without substituting for the responsibilities of the State, has been a key factor in sustaining the progress achieved by OAS member states. In that sense, experience highlights the importance of flexible, coordinated, and people-centered approaches that make it possible to advance the fulfillment of international obligations in complex contexts, while at the same time maintaining a long-term vision oriented toward sustainability and national ownership. This process has been possible thanks to the sustained commitment and support of cooperating partners, whose continuity and understanding of the context have been key.

VII. Opportunities for humanitarian demining in the Hemisphere through the OAS Based on recent dynamics observed in the Hemisphere, opportunities have emerged to strengthen dialogue and technical cooperation on humanitarian demining, particularly in border contexts where risks to the civilian population persist. In this regard, independent sector analysis, such as the most recent assessment issued by the Mine Action Review, 1 have pointed to the possible emergence of new explosive contamination and risk factors in border areas between Colombia and Venezuela, associated with dynamics of armed violence and cross-border mobility.

In a complementary manner, the OAS is in a favorable position to facilitate the structured exchange of information and technical analysis on emerging risks and will soon rely on geospatial tools

for information analysis and visualization that are currently under development, aimed at strengthening shared understanding and informed decision making by the States. These potential opportunities reinforce the importance of keeping humanitarian demining on the hemispheric agenda as an instrument of human security and cooperation, particularly in scenarios where risks transcend borders and require gradual, technical, and context-sensitive approaches, and where its application extends to the risks posed by contamination with other explosive devices.

VIII. Guiding questions for member states

1. How can the exchange of information and analysis between States be strengthened while respecting national frameworks and context sensitivities?

2. What role could the OAS General Secretariat play, at the request of States, in supporting technical cooperation processes, particularly in complex or transboundary contexts involving contamination by antipersonnel mines and other explosive devices?

3. What experience, technical capacities, or institutional approaches could States share to support information exchange, risk management, and technical cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining at the hemispheric level?

IX. Guiding questions for permanent observer delegations

1. Are there experiences, approaches, or best practices that can be shared to support humanitarian demining efforts in the Hemisphere?

2. What modalities of technical, financial, or capacity-building cooperation could contribute to the sustainability of national programs?

1 . Mine Action Review, Colombia, 2024, https://www.mineactionreview.org/country/colombia73. How can permanent observers and international partners flexibly and predictably accompany processes of national ownership and hemispheric cooperation?