Bogotá, July 14 2022 - The European Union's European Trust Fund for Peace and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) announced on Tuesday the results of the second phase of the Humanicemos Project, which supported the economic and social reintegration of signatories of the Peace Agreement who are employed by the humanitarian demining organization HUMANICEMOS DH.
During an event held in Bogota, some of the results of this phase of the project, which began in February 2020 and concluded in June of this year, were shared:
- 89 ex-combatants (68 men and 21 women) are currently working in HUMANICEMOS DH, performing directive, managerial and operational tasks.
- 77 ex-combatants were certified by the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace (OACP, in Spanish) in humanitarian demining work.
- HUMANICEMOS DH has been assigned humanitarian demining operations in three municipalities in Caquetá: La Montañita, Solita and Cartagena del Chairá.
- 13,868 square meters of land have been handed over mine-free and there are plans to hand over five more areas in La Montañita, totaling more than 8,400 m² aditionals.
- 1,724 people received Explosive Ordnance Risk Education sessions with the objective of avoiding new accidents with explosive devices.
"Peace, development, reconciliation and the environment are at the core of our relationship with Colombia. Through this project we have worked hard on reconciliation between different groups in society. It is evident that projects such as this one are of great importance for a sustainable peace where the social fabric is repaired and strengthened. In addition, the project has achieved the reintegration of signatories of the Peace Agreement. Congratulations for the great work and collaboration of all the parties that have been part of this project", said Sonia Tato, Deputy Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation in Colombia.
"We are grateful for the invaluable support of the European Union, through the European Trust Fund for Peace, which allowed us to move forward in the development of our activities. Thanks to our mentors from UNMAS Colombia for helping us grow and accompanying us in this transition, which has resulted in a successful process of our economic and social reintegration, which is already contributing to the commitment of non-repetition and guarantees for the peacebuilding in Colombia", mentioned Ángela Orrego, Director of HUMANICEMOS DH.
During these two years and four months, UNMAS trained HUMANICEMOS DH personnel and guaranteed the quality of the humanitarian demining operations that began in October 2020. "We can say that the objective of the project was met: HUMANICEMOS DH is delivering fantastic results in its operations. Although this project ends, UNMAS will continue as an Quality Management Body in charge of guaranteeing the quality of the organization's operations", highlighted Lina Castillo, Head of Project Unit of UNMAS Colombia.
Now HUMANICEMOS DH is an autonomous organization that, with the support of the international community, will continue working for life, reconciliation and the reconstruction of territories affected by explosive devices, in support of the 2016 Peace Agreement.
About the European Trust Fund for Peace
The European Trust Fund for Peace is a European Union cooperation mechanism created to accompany the Colombian government in the implementation of the Peace Agreement, with emphasis on Point 1 on Integral Rural Development and Point 3 regarding the reintegration of the FARC-EP ex-combatant population into civilian life. The Fund has implemented 31 interventions aimed at contributing to the reconciliation of Colombian society, the social and economic reincorporation of ex-combatants, gender equity and the inclusion of vulnerable sectors of the population, sustainable and inclusive rural development, and the legitimizing presence of the State and local governance. The geographic coverage of the different actions of the Fund covers 27 departments and 145 municipalities in the country.
For further information please contact:
Mario Rueda, UNMAS Communications Associate, marior@unops.org