Statement from Riccardo Labianco, MAG International Policy Manager, on the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Convention)
We recognise there are no easy choices when a state feels under threat of armed aggression, but International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the Ottawa Convention, is designed precisely for times like these.
For decades, military and humanitarian experts alike, have agreed, with evidence, that landmines are so dangerous for civilians that the only good choice is to never use them, preventing any form of presence of these weapons during and after active hostilities.
All types of landmines should be considered extremely dangerous because they cannot be controlled and stopped if they are triggered by the movement or the presence of a civilian. According to the Landmine Monitor, in 2023, 84% of the recorded casualties concerned civilians.
The Ottawa Convention has significantly contributed to international peace and security. It has reduced casualties from landmines, from 25,000 casualties per year before its adoption to less than 1,000 in 2012, a reduction in casualty rates of 95% in less than 15 years.
Furthermore, the Ottawa Convention has had a role in tackling the global circulation of these weapons, preventing their acquisition by irresponsible actors and entities.
Before the Ottawa Convention, it was estimated that 2.5 million landmines used to be emplaced every year, with only 80,000 of them cleared every year. The Ottawa Convention created a system and procedures to eliminate large scale emplacing of landmines and to increase the rate of clearance and the international support for it.
Staying in the Ottawa Convention strengthens the international legal architecture which, not only the UK, but the global population relies on for common security. Leaving the Convention would play into the hands of malign actors who have long worked to undermine shared protections.
While this recent news is undoubtedly a setback, MAG remains determined in its mission to help prevent and address the devastating consequences of conflict, and work with affected communities and international partners towards the ultimate goal of a mine-free world.
