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Colombia

Colombia signed the Convention on 3 December 1997, ratified it on 6 September 2000, with the Convention entering into force for Colombia on 1 March 2001.

Obligations under the Convention

In its initial transparency report submitted on 15 March 2002, Colombia reported stockpiled anti-personnel mines under its ownership or possession.

Notwithstanding the obligation to destroy all stockpiled anti-personnel mines, the Convention permits the retention of the minimum number of anti-personnel mines absolutely necessary for the development of and training in mine detection, mine clearance, or mine destruction techniques. Colombia had reported having retained 586 anti-personnel mines for these permitted purposes.

In its Article 7 Report submitted in 2014, Colombia reported having destroyed the 586 anti-personnel mines it had retained for permitted purposes in 2013.

In its initial transparency report submitted on 15 March 2002, Colombia reported stockpiled anti-personnel mines under its ownership or possession. 

In its transparency report submitted on 6 May 2005, Colombia reported that it had completed the destruction of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines. 

In total, Colombia reported having destroyed 19,026 mines.

In its initial transparency report, Colombia reported areas under its jurisdiction or control in which anti-personnel mines were known or suspected to be emplaced. In accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, Colombia undertook to destroy or ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel mines in these areas as soon as possible but not later than 1 March 2011.

On 31 March 2010, Colombia submitted a request to extend its mine clearance deadline, presenting a revised request on 13 August 2010. The request was granted at the Tenth Meeting of the States Parties and a new deadline set for 1 March 2021. Acting on this Decision, Colombia submitted an updated work plan 2016-2018 on 2 May 2017.

On 19 March 2020, Colombia submitted a second request to extend its deadline, and on 7 August 2020 Colombia submitted additional information to its request. The request was granted at the Eighteenth Meeting of the States Parties and a new deadline set for 31 December 2025.

On 8 May 2023, Colombia acted upon the decisions of the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties by submitting an updated work plan for the implementation of Article 5 of the Convention.

Article 5 Extension Request Proces

Colombia has indicated having significant numbers – hundreds or thousands – of landmine survivors.

Colombia is also a State Party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Annually and no later than 30 April, each State Party is to update information covering the previous calendar year. The latest Article 7 reports for this State Party can be found on this page. 

Article 9 of the Convention states that “each State Party shall take all appropriate legal, administrative and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control.”

Colombia has indicated having established national implementation measures or that it considers existing legislation to be sufficient. 

Presidency of the 20MSP

Colombia held the Presidency of the Convention in 2022. H.E. Alicia Arango Olmos Permanent Representative of Colombia to the UN in Geneva led the work of the States Parties as only the sixth woman to become President since the Convention began its formal meetings in 1999. In mid-year, H.E. Alvaro Ayala led the work of the Intersessional Meetings and Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties.

In 2009, Colombia was host to, and Secretary General of, the Second Review Conference, the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World, presided over by Norway.

Colombia hosts global conference on assistance to landmine survivors and disability rights

(2014) Leading actors in the worlds of health care, employment and international development had a chance to advance their common agenda, during a two day global meeting seeking to bridge the various worlds responsible for assistance to victims of mines and other explosive remnants of war, and disability rights.

Press Release |   English | Spanish |French

International music superstar Juanes joins high level push to ban landmines 

In 2013, Juanes, the Colombian multi-Grammy Award winner and anti-landmine activist a high level push to call on States that have not yet done so, to join the AntiPersonnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Convention. Press Release |   English |  French | Spanish

In 2009, Juanes had lent his voice to the world summit against anti-personnel mines. Press Release English Spanish

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 View, download snapshots of Colombia during Convention-related activities on Flickr.

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