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Treaty Status | Management & Coordination | Impact (contamination & casualties) | Addressing the Impact (land release, risk education, victim assistance)

Country summary

Mine contamination in the Republic of Ecuador results from the border conflict with Peru, which culminated with the 1995 Cenepa War. After signing the 1998 Brasilia Peace Accords, ending the dispute between both countries, the demining process began and humanitarian aid operations started in the border areas with Peru.

The mined section of the border was predominantly in the Condor mountain range that was at the center of the dispute. Since the peace accord was signed, both countries have emphasized bilateral cooperation, mutual trust, and transparency between their respective mine action agencies, Ecuador’s National Center for Humanitarian Demining (CENDESMI) and the Peruvian Mine Action Coordination Center (CONTRAMINAS), in order to solve their landmine problem.[1]

Under the Binational Cooperation Program (Programa Binacional de Cooperación) established in 2000, Ecuador and Peru adopted a Binational Manual for Humanitarian Demining (Manual Binacional de Desminado Humanitario) in April 2013 to unify their demining procedures in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). Risk education is also conducted as part of this binational cooperation program.

Under Article 5 of the Mine Ban Treaty, and in accordance with the five-year extension granted in 2017, Ecuador is required to clear all antipersonnel mines contaminated areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 31 December 2022. The remaining contamination in Ecuador is small, a total of 0.04km² (40,056m²) containing an estimated 2,941 landmines.[2]

Ecuador does not have any cluster munition remnants contamination in areas under its jurisdiction or control.[3]

Treaty status

Treaty status overview

Ecuador became a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty has submitted and was granted three Article 5 deadline extension requests since becoming a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty in 1999. Under its latest extension, it is required to clear and destroy all antipersonnel mines in contaminated areas under its jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 31 December 2022.[4]

Management and coordination

Mine action management and coordination

Mine action management and coordination overview

Coordination

The national mine action program is managed by the National Center for Humanitarian Demining (CENDESMI). It is an interministerial body chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility and is made up of the ministries of defense and health, and the Army Corps of Engineers (CEE) through the Engineers Battalion No. 68 “COTOPAXI” and the General Command for Demining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD).[5]

Strategies and policies

In its Article 5 deadline extension request from 2017 Ecuador included a National Plan for Humanitarian Demining 2018–2022, which provided information on techniques, resources, mitigating factors, opportunities, and risks, as well as annual clearance targets and an annual demining budget.[6]

An updated plan 2019–2022 was submitted in 2018.[7] The plan provided yearly projections for clearance of the 8.02km² of remaining contamination to complete the process by 2022.[8] The clearance target planned for 2019 was not fully reached. Prioritization of clearance has been guided by population density near contaminated areas and barriers to social and economic development, leaving the remote contaminated areas to be cleared last.[9]

Legislation and standards

CENDESMI was set up by Executive Decree. There is no other national mine action legislation.

Under the Binational Cooperation Program established in 2000, Ecuador and Peru adopted a Binational Manual for Humanitarian Demining (Manual Binacional de Desminado Humanitario) in April 2013 to unify the demining procedures of both states in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).

Information management

Ecuador uses the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database.[10]

Risk education management and coordination

Risk education management and coordination overview

Victim assistance management and coordination

Victim assistance management and coordination overview

Laws and policies

In 2012 Ecuador enacted the Organic Law on Disabilities (Ley Organica de Discapacidades), which should ensure the prevention, timely detection, qualification, and rehabilitation of the disability and ensure the rights of persons with disabilities. The law functions in alignment with rights established in the Constitution of Ecuador and international treaties and instruments, as well as those derived from related laws, with gender, generational, and intercultural approach.[11]

There is no existing legislation specially on assistance for mine/ERW victims.

The public policies in the National Agenda for the Equality of Persons with Disabilities 2017–2021, entitled “Lifelong Rights,” are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ecuador’s Constitution, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Organic Law on Disabilities, and the National Development Plan. It has 12 public policy points, with strategies, actions, indicators, and goals agreed by working groups comprising 119 from 46 institutions responsible for public policies on disability.[12]

Impact

Contamination

Contamination overview (as of December 2019)[13]

Landmine contamination

Ecuador’s contamination results from the 1995 border conflict with Peru. The most heavily mined section of the border is the Condor mountain range (Cordillera del Condor) which was at the center of the dispute. The initial overall contamination was reported to be 0.62km² (629,081m²).[14]

Only one of Ecuador’s 24 provinces, Zamora Chinchipe, still has mined areas, located in the south of the country along the border with Peru. This area is considered the most difficult to access due to geographical and meteorological conditions.[15]

At the end of December 2018, Ecuador reported 80,238m² of contaminated land across four zones in Zamora Chinchipe.[16] However, in its Article 7 report for calendar year 2019, it reported 40,056m² of contamination across three zones in Zamora Chinchipe. This reduction of 40,182m² is not matched in its land release figures for 2019 of 2,898.5m². However, in June 2019, Ecuador reported that a minefield, PV_La Media, had been surveyed and was determined to be in Peruvian territory, thus reducing the amount of contamination in Ecuador.[17] The size of the PV_La Media minefield was reported to be 41,315m².[18] Despite the discrepancies in figures, the estimate of contamination of 0.04km² is thought to be accurate.

Casualties

Casualties overview

No mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties were reported since 2015.

Addressing the impact

Mine action

Operators and service providers

Clearance operators

Clearance

Land release overview[19]

Land release

Since Ecuador began demining operations in 2000, it has cleared just over 0.55km² of antipersonnel mine contaminated land and cleared 12,193 antipersonnel mines, 74 antivehicle mines, and 35 ERW.[20]

In May 2019, Ecuador submitted an updated work plan for the implementation of its Article 5 obligations, as requested by the Sixteenth Meeting of States Parties.[21] The work plan that was presented included programmed mine clearance in the last remaining contaminated province of Zamora Chinchipe between 2019 to 2022.

Ecuador planned to clear 23,383m² of contamination and find and destroy 478 antipersonnel mines in 2019. But the country failed to meet this target and cleared only 2,899m², clearing and destroying 62 antipersonnel mines. The amount of land cleared in 2019 was a significant reduction from the amount of land cleared in 2018 and 2017. Since 2015 the planned budget allocations have not been met and the clearance targets have not been achieved, with the exception of 2018.[22]

The remaining contamination is reported to be 0.04km² (40,056m²) in three areas with an estimated 2,941 landmines.[23] However, demining operations in Ecuador were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is reported to have delayed planning and affected Ecuador’s ability to complete clearance by 2022.[24]

The workplan for 2020–2021 was as follows: 23 areas totalling 21,010m² in 2021 and 30 areas totalling 19,046m² in 2022. In 2021, Ecuador requested some US$7 million to support clearance operations in 2021 and 2022.[25]

Risk education

Operators and service providers

Risk education operators

Beneficiary numbers

A total of 250 individuals received risk education in 2019.

Target groups

Risk education is conducted as part of clearance operations to populations living close to contaminated areas. The border communities living or working close to the border between Ecuador and Peru are reached through the Binational Mine Risk Education campaigns. In the province of Zamora Chinchipe 14 communities and five ethnic groups live near the mined areas. The minefields limit access to resources and also affect children going to school.[26]

Delivery methods

The risk education is conducted as a multisectoral activity, including the ministries of defense, education, health, and interior.

Major developments in 2019

In 2019, the sixth Binational Mine Risk Education Campaign was carried out in cooperation with Peru, directed to local authorities, leaders, communities and media from the sectors of Chinapintza and Machinaza province of Zamora Chinchipe in Ecuador.[27]

Victim assistance

Victim assistance providers and activities

Victim assistance operators

Needs assessment

In 2020, the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control ordered the registration of 103 ex-combatants from the 1995 Cenepa border conflict as beneficiaries of the Law on Recognition of National Heroes and Heroines. The 103 members are entitled to all applicable benefits.[28]

Medical care and rehabilitation

The ICRC MoveAbility Foundation supported CONADIS, local service providers, and the Ministry of Public Health in improving physical rehabilitation policies and services in 2019. It supported CONADIS in facilitating discussions between authorities of Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua on topics such as applying the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in measuring disability. Additionally, they worked with the Ministry of Public Health to bolster the capacities of the national physical rehabilitation platform.[29]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

The Association of Decorated Combatants with Disabilities “Heroes of Cenepa,” provided psychological support to survivors and their families, as well as to the families of the deceased. The association works with the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, the General Command of the Army, the Institute of Social Security of the Armed Forces, and the National Council for Equality of Disabilities.