Addressing Legacy Threats to Human Safety

One of the most significant Human Rights threats throughout Colombia is the prevalence of anti-personnel mines and other explosive devices that are an unfortunate legacy of the decades-long conflict in the country.

To address this risk in southern Putumayo where the Company undertakes exploration and development activities, GTE launched a Humanitarian Demining Pilot Project in 2019 with the help of an alliance made up of GTE, the Colombian Campaign Against Mines (CCCM), the Colombian High Commissioner of Peace, Ecopetrol, the United States Department of State and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This important demining project has investigated over 57,400 hectares of land that has now been cleared of anti-personnel mines and the Puerto Vega Teteyé area in Puerto Asís has been declared free of contamination.

Because of this project, nearly 3,000 residents of nearby towns can now move about freely along the Puerto Vega-Teteyé corridor without the fear of legacy anti-personnel devices. In 2023, more than 22,400 additional hectares in the municipalities of Puerto Asís and Orito were certified free from antipersonnel mines and explosive devices, and nearly 300 landmines, unexploded ordinance, and improvised explosive devices have been identified and removed since 2021 with zero accidents and the full support of local communities.

“We’ve worked with GTE in several ways, but one of the most impactful activities has been the demining of our region, which has dramatically changed the way people live and move in this area.”

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Preventing Child Recruitment in Putumayo
Gran Tierra Energy, the FC Barcelona Foundation, Colombia’s Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) and the World Vision International Foundation, continue their strategic alliance to increase resilience in vulnerable children and reduce their susceptibility to two important Human Rights concerns in the area: substance abuse and militia recruitment. Financed by GTE, the program is implemented […]
Engaging Leading Human Rights Experts
GTE and renowned business and human rights experts Shift first collaborated in 2019 to identify and work to address human rights issues related to GTE’s business operations and value chain. Shift is the leading centre of expertise on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The nonprofit organization is chaired by John Ruggie who authored […]
Protecting Human Rights in Ecuador
As a new operator in a country, Gran Tierra must contend with industry legacy impacts that the region may have had. While it is a new company for local Ecuadorian populations in the Sucumbíos province, Gran Tierra’s international experience as a responsible business partner has prepared it well to meaningfully engage communities and manage Human […]
Supporting Colombia’s Reintegration and Reincorporation Efforts
A number of GTE’s efforts are focused on supporting the Colombian government’s reintegration of ex-combatants back into Colombian society. The dynamics of post-conflict situations are complex, but the objective is simple: to support the country’s efforts at achieving lasting peace. Creating economic opportunities is one of the critical issues facing the reintegration of 13,000 ex-combatants […]
Strengthening Human Rights Throughout the Supply Chain
GTE expects contractors and suppliers to maintain business practices consistent with its own standards for its employees and operations including respect for Human Rights. While these expectations are embedded into GTE’s corporate policies and practices, the supply chain is an important Human Rights risk factor, especially with the large number of local vendors without policies […]
Supporting our Stakeholders with Human Rights Training
One of the main pillars of GTE’s Human Rights work involves integrating its policies and concepts into its business. This effort requires extensive training with internal stakeholders to ensure they understand and adhere to the Company’s policies which are designed to protect rights. This includes: Training sessions for a variety of external stakeholders focus on […]