Peru

Mine Action

Last updated: 07 November 2018

 

Treaty status

Mine Ban Treaty

State Party
Article 5 deadline: 31 December 2024
On track to meet deadline

Mine action management

National mine action management actors

Interministerial Executive Council of the Peruvian Mine Action Center (Centro Peruano de Acción contra las Minas Antipersonal, CONTRAMINAS)

Mine action strategic plan

Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024

Mine action standards

Binational Manual for Humanitarian Demining, adopted with Ecuador in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS)

Operators in 2017

Peruvian Army’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Demining (DIGEDEHUME)
CONTRAMINAS Security Division (DIVSECOM)

Extent of contamination as of March 2018

Landmines

0.4km2

Cluster munition remnants

None

Land release in 2017

Landmines

0.27km2 released. 9,246m2 cleared, 7,171m2 reduced through technical survey and 10,738mcancelled through non-technical survey
396 antipersonnel mines destroyed

Progress

Landmines

Peru has provided conflicting estimates of the extent of remaining contamination. Its clearance output declined in 2017. Nevertheless, Peru should be able to complete clearance before its Article 5 deadline, particularly if it fulfils its plan to use mine detection dogs and mechanical assets to speed up land release

 

Contamination

Mine contamination in the Republic of Peru results from a 1995 border conflict with Ecuador. The mined section of the border was predominantly in the Condor mountain range that was at the center of the dispute.

Peru has provided inconsistent figures for its remaining contamination. In its latest Article 7 transparency report for March 2017 to March 2018, Peru stated that as of March 2018, remaining mine contamination totaled 426,325macross 134 confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs) and, in the same report, it also stated there was 396,171macross 124 CHAs.[1] As set out in the table in the strategic planning section below, Peru has planned for clearance beginning in January 2018 of 127 areas covering 491,279m2, which is more than the total remaining mine contamination.[2]

As of early August 2016, 140 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) were said to cover a total of 479,994min the districts of Achuime, Cenepa, Santiago, and the square kilometer of Tiwinza.[3] Peru variously stated in its Article 7 transparency report for March 2016 to March 2017 that, as of March 2017, remaining mine contamination totaled 475,174macross 140CHAs, but in the same report it also claimed that as of the end of 2016, 426,325mremained across 134 CHAs.[4]

The size and extent of mined areas varies widely, with one such area only 5min size while the largest, by far, is estimated to extend over 160,000m2. In fact, most of this large area should be released by survey, without the need for recourse to full clearance.[5] The true amount of contaminated land is probably no more than 100,000mas Peru does not use polygons to delineate hazardous areas, despite having detailed mine maps of almost all the affected areas.[6]

Program Management

The national mine action program is managed by CONTRAMINAS, which is chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CONTRAMINAS is responsible for setting strategy and priorities and for overall coordination of mine action activities.

Strategic planning

According to Peru’s “Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024,” which was submitted to the Committee on Article 5 Implementation in May 2018, remaining suspected mine contamination of some 0.49kmspread across 127 SHAs will be released by 31 December 2024. This is more than the amount of contamination reported in Peru’s latest Article 7 report. Peru expected to clear 8,089 mines from the areas.[7] The plan for the seven years beginning 1 January 2018 is as follows:

Planned clearance in 2018–2024[8]

Year

Sector

Mined areas

Area (m2)

Antipersonnel mines

2018

Tiwinza

16

119,415

2,697

2019

Cenepa

13

92,850

627

2020

Achuime

20

9,458

746

2021

Cenepa

16

12,301

653

2022

Cenepa – Santiago

18

180,965

392

2023

Santiago

16

28,225

838

2024

Santiago

28

48,065

2,136

Total

 

127

491,279

8,089

 

Peru has also includes a plan for the clearance of the Tiwinza square kilometer to be conducted by the joint Ecuador-Peru Binational Humanitarian Demining Unit. In contrast to the information provided by Ecuador, the plan is for five mined areas totaling 70,100m2, which are to be cleared in 2018.[9]

Legislation and standards

CONTRAMINAS was created in December 2002 after the issuance of a “Supreme Decree,” in an additional “Supreme Decree” issued in July 2005, which regulates CONTRAMINAS.[10] Directive No. 001 regulates humanitarian demining operations at DIGEDEHUME, while Directive No. 006 regulates compliance under the Mine Ban Treaty.[11]

In April 2013, under the Binational Cooperation Program (Programa Binacional de Cooperación) established in 2000, Ecuador and Peru adopted a Binational Manual for Humanitarian Demining to unify the demining procedures of both states in accordance with the IMAS.

Quality management

Quality management is conducted through DIGEDEHUME, headquartered in Lima.[12]

Operators

DIGEDEHUME is responsible for carrying out demining on the border with Ecuador with two demining teams each of 60 deminers. The CONTRAMINAS Security Division (DIVSECOM), which is responsible for supporting DIGEDHUME with demining operations, has 40 police officers trained in demining.[13]

In 2015, mine detection dogs (MDDs) were used to identify mines for the first time.[14] In its revised second Article 5 deadline extension request, Peru announced that it would be using both machines and MDDs for demining, which as of May 2018, had not yet been introduced.[15] In its updated workplan submitted May 2018, Peru one of its specific strategic objectives for 2018–2024 included the development, design, and implementation of new humanitarian demining techniques, such as with machines or dogs.[16]

Land Release

The total mined area reportedly released in 2017 was 27,154m2, a 40% reduction on the 48,849mreleased the previous year.

Survey in 2017

In 2017, Peru reported that it reduced 7,171mby technical survey and cancelled 10,738mby non-technical survey in Tiwinza.[17]

Clearance in 2017

In 2017, Peru reported that it cleared 9,246min Tiwinza, with the destruction of 396 antipersonnel mines.[18]

Article 5 Compliance

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty (and in accordance with the seven years and 10 months’ extension granted by States Parties in 2016), Peru is required to destroy all antipersonnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 31 December 2024. This is Peru’s second Article 5 deadline extension.

In the last five years, Peru has reported clearing a total of under 140,000mof mined area with the destruction of about 6,000 mines (see table below).

Mine clearance in 2013–2017[19]

Year

Area cleared (m2)

Mines destroyed

2017

9,246

396*

2016

18,317

1,886**

2015

76,335

897

2014

8,458

478

2013

25,715

2,374

Total

138,071

6,031

* Covers the period April 2017 to March 2018.
** Covers the period April 2016 to March 2017.

 

In its revised second extension request, submitted in August 2016, Peru estimated that US$38.6 million would be needed to finish the job, all of which was due to be funded by the Peruvian government.[20] This estimate was also included in its May 2018 updated workplan. Peru reported that while $3.88 million had been costed for 2018, the Executive Council of CONTRAMINAS had set the annual budget at $2.36 million.[21]

In granting Peru’s extension request, the Fifteenth Meeting of States Parties called on Peru to provide, by 30 April 2018, an updated workplan for the remaining period covered by the extension detailing the results of the activities to meet its strategic objectives, an updated list of all areas known or suspected to contain antipersonnel mines, annual projections of which areas and what area would be dealt with during the remaining period covered by the request and by which organization, and an updated budget.[22] Peru submitted an “Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024” on 30 May 2018. Included is an annual plan for demining of 127 areas covering almost 0.5km2, which is more than the remaining mine contamination. Peru’s estimates of remaining mined area differ, ranging from 396,171macross 124 CHAs, to 426,325macross 134 CHAs, and to 475,174macross 140CHAs.

 

 

The Monitor acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review (www.mineactionreview.org), which has conducted the primary mine action research in 2018 and shared all its country-level landmine reports (from “Clearing the Mines 2018”) and country-level cluster munition reports (from “Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2018”) with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.



[1] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for March 2017 to March 2018), Form C and F.

[2] Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024, May 2018, p. 11.

[3] Analysis of the request submitted by Peru for an extension of the deadline for completing the destruction of antipersonnel mines in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, Submitted by the Committee on the Implementation of Article 5 (Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ireland, and Zambia), para. 9.

[4] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for March 2016 to March 2017), Forms C and F2.

[5] Discussion with CONTRAMINAS, Lima, 14 March 2016; and with the DIGEDEHUME, Lima, 15 March 2016.

[6] Discussion with CONTRAMINAS, Lima, 14 March 2016; and with the DIGEDEHUME, Lima, 15 March 2016.

[7] Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024, May 2018. A slightly different figure for remaining contamination as of 1 January 2017 was included in Peru’s revised second extension request, dated July 2016 but submitted at the beginning of August 2016: 411,694m2 as compared with 412,094min the first version of the request. See, Mine Ban Treaty Second Article 5 deadline Extension Request (revised), July 2016, p. 4.

[8] Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024, May 2018, p. 11.

[9] Ibid, p. 17.

[10] Supreme Decree No. 113-2002-RE; and Supreme Decree No. 051-2005-RE. Ecuador plans clearance of the 26 hazardous areas in the vicinity of the Tiwinza square kilometer to be carried out in 2018–2020 amounting to a total of 122,880m2 of clearance. Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 deadline Extension Request, Additional Information provided on 8 September 2017, p. 10.

[11] Directive No. 001/2009/DIGEDEHUME-SINGE; and Directive No. 006.

[12] Presentation by DIGEDEHUME, Lima, 15 March 2016.

[13] Ibid., pp. 10 and 12.

[14] Presentation by DIGEDEHUME, Lima, 15 March 2016.

[15] Mine Ban Treaty Second Article 5 deadline Extension Request (revised), July 2016, pp. 5–6.

[16] Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024, May 2018, pp. 15–16.

[17] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for March 2017 to March 2018), Form F.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Statement of Peru, Committee on Article 5 Implementation, Geneva, 25 June 2015. Different figures for clearance were reported in 2016: clearance in 2013 was said to amount to 29,025m2, while clearance in 2012 was reportedly of 15,377m2. Presentation by DIGEDEHUME, Lima, 15 March 2016.

[20] Mine Ban Treaty Second Article 5 deadline Extension Request (revised), July 2016, p. 18.

[21] Updated National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2024, May 2018, p. 11.

[22] Decisions on the request submitted by Peru for an extension of the deadline for completing the destruction of antipersonnel mines in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, 1 December 2016, para. e.