NPA has been active in Peru since in 2012, when we were requested by the governments of Chile and Peru to support with demining activities in Quebrada de Escritos, a landmine contaminated border territory disputed by both countries. The two countries needed a neutral third party to perform clearance of the area, consequently allowing for a conclusion to the long-standing territorial dispute.
Experienced deminers and Mine Detection Dogs from NPA successfully cleared 333 Anti-Personnel and Anti-Tank mines from an area covering almost 70 000 m2 from October to December 2012. In January 2014, the International Court of Justice finally settled the dispute, awarding Peru a triangle of the Pacific Ocean territory- an area covering thousands of square miles, rich in fish and other natural resources. NPA's work thus contributed to a conclusion of the dispute and facilitated for the final verdict.
NPA currently has two projects in Peru: The United Stated has funded an Arms Management and Destruction (AMD) project since 2017. Norway has funded periodic activities in the ongoing Cluster Munition project which assists Peru with obligations to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).
In the AMD project, NPA is supporting the Peruvian Air Force in disposal of obsolete or at-risk stockpiled ordnance, especially ordnance and weapons considered attractive to criminal and terrorist organisations, or ammunition which could put at risk civilians living in the vicinity of ammunition storage areas. Additionally, there are ancillary objectives in physical security & stockpile management and explosive management capacity-building. Capacity-building includes formal training as well as on-the-job training in logistic disposal operations.
The CCM compliance project is a cooperative effort between the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Peruvian Ministry of Defence and NPA to destroy all cluster munitions stockpiled by the Republic of Peru. This project’s objective is the safe and environmentally sound disposal of 2,005 cluster bombs and an additional 8,150 explosive bomblets
In partnership with Fenix Insight, NPA has also conducted research and development for disassembly and disposal procedures for a variety of munitions, from simple bomblets to medium-range surface to air missiles.
- Peru is a state party to both the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
- The deadline for Peru to declare and destroy all stockpiled cluster munitions under its jurisdiction is 1 April 2024. An extension request was submitted in March 2020.
- The landmine clearance deadline is December 2024.
