Colombia

In 2024, the use of munitions surged in Colombia, with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reporting an 89% increase in casualties from explosive ordnance, including remotely activated devices, compared to 2023. The security and humanitarian situation deteriorated significantly as armed groups fragmented, territorial disputes intensified, and hostilities with national security forces resumed following the end of several ceasefires. In response, the humanitarian mine action sector sought to adapt by adopting a new national standard based on a rapid-response approach to risk reduction (known as 4R), which is designed to facilitate operations in high-risk areas. According to the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA), survey and clearance outputs declined slightly in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Colombia prepared and submitted a new Article 5 deadline extension request for 2026 to the end of 2030, which was due to be considered at the Twenty-Second Meeting of States Parties (22MSP) in December 2025. The request, an interim one, recognised that Colombia will not meet its Article 5 obligations within the five-year extension period. It was accompanied by a detailed intermediate Operations Plan for 2025–27. The extension request showcased efforts by the NMAA to improve baseline contamination data, including municipalities with suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) whose size remains undetermined due to insecurity and lack of access. Colombia also informed States Parties that some municipalities have experienced new mine laying, including areas previously declared mine-free.

• The demining sector should continue exploring strategies to reduce the amount of land cleared found to have
  no landmine contamination. Given that half of all mined areas cleared in 2024 were found to contain no AP mines, further discussion on this long-standing issue is urgently needed. In particular, the potential for technical survey (TS) to confirm contamination could be revisited.

• Colombia should ensure continuity of the Knowledge Management Platform established in 2024 as a means to unify the mine action sector and mainstream successes. It should also consider establishing a National Mine Action Platform to serve as a biannual forum for collective dialogue among all stakeholders—including donors and government branches—to monitor progress in Article 5 implementation.

• Colombia should ensure thorough evaluation of the recently adopted 4R approach. If successful, this approach could serve as a useful model for States Parties that face mine contamination during active armed conflicts and need to conduct operations in environments with unstable humanitarian access.

• Colombia needs a robust resource mobilisation plan to address anticipated funding cuts to demining in 2025 and navigate an increasingly competitive global funding landscape.

• Colombia should adopt national mine action standards (NMAS) on gender and diversity, as well as on environmental protection, in conformity with the revised International Mine Action Standard (IMAS) 07.13.

• Colombia should continue working to assume full responsibility for its Quality Management (QM) system, which is being transitioned from the Organization of American States (OAS) Comprehensive Mine Action Programme (OAS-AICMA) and scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2025" report for Colombia.