INTERAMERICAN DEFENSE BOARD SECRETARIAT Humanitarian Demining Assistance Mission

INTERAMERICAN DEFENSE BOARD SECRETARIAT Humanitarian Demining Assistance Mission in South America MARMINAS

MARMINAS 1. Background: The conflict at CENEPA’s Valley – Tiwinza War Peace Agreement: January 14 th 1995, “Definition of procedures agreed among the parts and the countries integrating the 1942 Rio de Janeiro Protocol (ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, CHILE AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)”. Commitment by Ecuador and Peru to the International Community for the removal of landmines. 1997 – Ottawa’s Treaty 1998 – Ecuador asks the GS/OAS a Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines. 1999 – Peru asks the GS/OAS Program for Comprehensive Action against Antipersonnel Mines.

MARMINAS 1. Background : 19 th March and 17 th May 2001: Fremework Agreements: Equador/Peru and GS/OAS. April 2002 to april 2003: IADB deployed Interamerican Monitors employed in the Assistance Mission for landmines removal in Centroamerica (MARMINCA) to support the beggining of the demining work, through technical assistance and treinning of the Ecuatorian and Peruvian Armies. 1 st May 2003: IADB established the Assistance Mission for landmines removal in Soth America (MARMINAS), to provide technical assistance to the OAS’s AICMA Program (Counter Antipersonel Mine Integrated Action) in ECUADOR/PERU border.

MARMINAS 2. MARMINAS’s Mission: MARMINAS‘s mission is to provide, both to Ecuador and to Peru, training, technical assistance and monitoring of the activities, in order to certify the mine-clearing operations are being conducted according to the international norms. 3. MARMINAS’s Contributing Countries: Brazil: 49 Interamerican Monitors (8 Mission’s Chief) Chile: 18 Interamerican Monitors Honduras: 6 Interamerican Monitors Nicaragua: Interamerican Monitors (2 Mission’s Chief)

MARMINAS 4. Tasks assigned by the IADB to MARMINAS to accomplish its mission : Transfer of the knowhow, through the IADB Humanitarian Demining Manual and the experiences of the COSTA RICA’s Public Forces and HONDURAS’s, NICARAGUA’s and GUATEMALA’s Armies; Implementation of training courses, personal training and accreditation; Inspection and evaluation of the material donated by AICMA; participation in the planning of demining operations, and preparation of special reports (danger reports), when safety rules are not in accordance with national and international standards. MONITORING, CAPACITY, TRAINNING AND CERTIFICATION OF THE HUMANITARIAN DEMANING WORK.

MARMINAS 5. MARMINAS in brief Work done in 12 years of presence of the IADB, through MARMINCA and MARMINAS in Ecuador-Peru border: Country Cleaned Area (m 2) Antipersonal Mines Antitank Mines EQUADOR 223. 273, 84 5. 207 74 PERU 145. 408, 87 8. 382 0 Work to be done up to 2017, in accomplish to the agreements signed by Ecuador and Peru: Estimative ECUADOR Area to be cleaned 466 mil m² PERÚ 77 mil m² Mines to be removed 15, 595 minas 16, 895 minas

MARMINAS 6. Closure of MARMINAS In May, 6 th 2013, the AICMA/OAS Program Maneger informed the IADB Secretariat the end of the Program in Ecuador y Peru. The IADB Secretariat had informed the Delegations to the Board about the end of the AICMA Program in Ecuador and Peru and began the plannings to the closure of the Assistance Mission. The Assistance Mission ended its work at december, 31 st 2013. The IADB Secretariat done Closure Ceremonies in Lima (January 15 th 2014) and in Quito (January 17 th 2014); Copies of the archives of MARMINAS’s documents were delivered to the Governments of Ecuador and Peru and, also, there are copies of those archives in the Demining Office in the IADB.

MARMINAS 6. MARMINAS Closure Ceremonies

MARMINAS 7. Conclusion The AICMA/OAS Program and the IADB Assistance Mission held a unique partnership for the benefit of the Humanitarian Demining: the prestige of the OAS in obtaining lines of credit, from the international donor community, and technical capacity and competence of the personnel involved, from IADB and AICMA Program, in monitoring, training and certification of the work fronts Synergistic results which has unparalleled in any other Demining Action: one of the most successful Multinational Demining Programs; Achievements: - Improvement and development of techniques for removal of landmines in areas of difficult access and rugged terrain with dense vegetation cover; - Extremely low rate of accidents and incidents, which proves the high level of the care provided, and - The development of national, Ecuadorian and Peruvian, capabilities in conducting their own programs Demining.