The United Nations (UN) has called for adherence to the Mine Ban Treaty, an international agreement aimed at ending the use, production, and stockpiling of anti-personel mines. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed deep concern that these explosive weapons continue to kill and injure people nearly 30 years after the treaty’s adoption.
Türk emphasized the need for states to recommit to ending the production, use, and transfer of these weapons and to enhance cooperation in clearing existing mines.
Thousands Killed and Injured Annually
Anti-personel mines are reported to impact a full spectrum of human rights and are still used today, even by non-state actors. In 2024 alone, at least 1,945 individuals were killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war. The highest casualty rates were recorded in Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen, and Burkina Faso. Approximately 90 percent of all recorded casualties were civilians, and children accounted for over 40 percent of all civilian casualties recorded since 1999.
Impact on Lives and Livelihoods
The report details how anti-personel mines severely compromise human rights. Civilians have lost limbs, suffered eye injuries including blindness, or experienced hearing loss after stepping on or encountering these weapons. Children face more severe physical trauma and higher mortality rates from anti-personel mine injuries compared to adults, with survival rates decreasing with younger age. Mine contamination can render areas inaccessible, hindering civilians’ access to essential services, impeding humanitarian aid to those in need, and leading to displacement. Furthermore, it can render agricultural land unusable, contributing to food insecurity and economic hardship. Mines placed in and around schools pose a direct threat to children and disrupt their education. Contamination from explosive remnants of war, including anti-personel mines, can impede economic development for decades and delay post-conflict reconstruction.
A Call to Action for States
Currently, 162 states are party to the Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, adopted in 1997. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) noted that many states, including permanent members of the UN Security Council with significant stockpiles, have yet to become signatories. Additionally, five states (Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland) recently withdrew from the treaty, and Ukraine has indicated a suspension of its implementation. Türk urged states that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so immediately and for those that withdrew to return swiftly. He added that states party to the treaty must adhere to its provisions in good faith. Türk welcomed Lebanon’s decision to join the treaty, even in the face of significant security threats. The High Commissioner also called on states to provide reparations for violations resulting from the use of anti-personel mines and to ensure survivors and affected communities have access to healthcare, rehabilitation, education, employment, and social security. The report is scheduled to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 26.
