Ecuador

Ecuador released just over 10,000m2 in 2024–equating to about half of the remaining contamination—through non-technical survey (NTS) and clearance, destroying 367 anti-personnel (AP) mines. Although Ecuador reported at the Fifth Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) in November 2024 that it was on track to complete its Article 5 obligations by the end of its 31 December 2025 deadline, it informed States Parties at the intersessional meetings in June 2025 that it would need to request a new two-year extension to 31 December 2027. The request, submitted on 7 July 2025, cites unforeseen financial constraints and a series of overlapping national emergencies (a declared internal armed conflict, natural disasters, and public health crises) that disrupted resource allocation and halted all demining operations in 2025, making it impossible to meet its deadline.

The request is accompanied by a National Humanitarian Demining Plan for 2026–2027, which allocates national funds to complete clearance of the remaining 22 tasks by the end of 2026. AP mined area covers 9,964m2 and is stated to contain 1,713 AP mines, all located in Zamora Chinchipe province along the border with Peru. The two-year extension period is also intended to enable Ecuador to conduct quality control (QC) of previously demined areas, some of which were cleared more than 15 years ago. These are a total of 127 areas covering 280,031m² across the provinces of Morona Santiago, Pastaza, and Zamora Chinchipe. To conduct this work, Ecuador is seeking international funding of US$2.3 million.

• Ecuador should intensify efforts to secure the international support to complete pending external QC in Morona Santiago, Pastaza, and Zamora Chinchipe, and provide a detailed breakdown of the estimated US$2.3 million budget for these activities to enhance transparency.

• Ecuador should clarify its quality management (QM) methodology and clearly explain the difference between the process of handing over released land from the demining battalion to the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) and QC by the Humanitarian Demining Certification Unit (Unidad Certificadora de Desminado Humanitario, UCDH).

• Ecuador should clarify the reasons delaying the official mine-free declaration in Loja and El Oro, given that the UCDH’s clearance and internal and external QC were completed in 2018.

• Ecuador should use the remaining period to develop a residual risk management strategy and ensure that sufficient national capacity—human, financial, and material—is sustained to address any contamination found after completion as well as to finalise any outstanding QM issues.

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