Bogotá, 6 March 2026. The Government of Japan announced a contribution of USD 4.5 million to support mine action efforts in Colombia through the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). This support will help strengthen the country’s institutional and operational capacities to address contamination from anti-personnel mines and other explosive devices in areas most affected by the armed conflict.
The cooperation was formalized during a note exchange ceremony held at Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the participation of Ambassador Adriana Mendoza Agudelo, Director of Multilateral Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ambassador of Japan to Colombia, Toru Shimizu; the Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Colombia, Akihiko Yamada; and the Global Director of UNMAS, Kazumi Ogawa.
The project will support the strengthening of national and territorial technical capacities in humanitarian mine action to respond to the threat of explosive devices, while also promoting the development and implementation of public policies to enable a more effective response in affected areas.
This contribution comes at a particularly important time for the mine action sector in Colombia. Humanitarian needs linked to the presence of explosive devices have increased, with more people at risk and communities requiring protection and information to prevent accidents. At the same time, the sector faces new challenges due to emerging threats, the recontamination of territories, and a reduction in global funding available for these activities.
The support of the Government of Japan will help sustain and strengthen efforts to protect communities, improve security conditions in affected areas, and contribute to stabilization and peacebuilding processes in Colombia.
