Updated April 2, 2025:

We strongly urge the current member states Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, who are considering exiting the Mine Ban Treaty, to stand by their original commitment.

The Mine Ban Treaty is a solemn obligation to never deploy these weapons.

Militarily, the potential action represents unsound judgement and a slippery slope in terms of other long-standing treaties, including blinding lazers, poison gas, and cluster munitions. This move sets to undo the work of generations to ensure safe civilian and postwar societies.

This potential move by these four member states to leave the land mine treaty is detrimental to their own interests. To begin using landmines, these states would need to start purchasing or manufacturing and stockpiling landmines. There are none within the EU, and they cannot seek support from European or NATO partners who follow their obligations under the treaty. With no source, these states would have to start the entire cycle for a weapons system, that would outweigh any benefits to the weapon’s application, which are, marginal at best, aside from the huge humanitarian cost.

While it is recognised that anti-tank and anti-vehicle mines or command detonated anti-personnel are not covered by the treaty – i.e. there is someone in the loop, identifying the target, these four member states are considering investing in anti-personnel land mines.

Landmines limit military utility. It is far too easy to put counter measures on them. They are not a game-changing weapons system. Proven functional and legal defenses already exist. A knee-jerk decision to invest in land mine manufacture and deployment at this precipice of conflict will spawn a deadly legacy for generations of post-war civilians.

Wars have legal limits – the Geneva Convention, the International Rules of Law, and International Humanitarian Law all recognise that wars have limits in scope, methodology and targeting.

The Mine Ban Treaty of 1997 was established on the proof that there wasn’t any real military advantage to the use of landmines, and the burden of their legacy is a currency measured in lives. They blindly lay in wait for the first foot fall – be it from soldier, farmer or child.

Get Involved:

Action Alert: Urgent action request on possible Mine Ban Treaty withdrawals
Alert requests engagement with governments and media and includes sample social media messages. (18 March 2025)

Action Alert: Send One Email to Stop Withdrawals from the Mine Ban Treaty!
Alert includes template of a letter to send to the governments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and Contacts to email the letters to. (20 March 2025)

ICBL Briefing Paper: Debunking myths on military “utility” of AP mines (March 25, 2025)

Humanitarian Disarmament Paper Proposed Mine Ban Treaty Withdrawal: Response from Humanitarian Disarmament Campaigns (19 March 2025)