Context: Several NATO member countries bordering Russia have recently announced plans to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Ottawa Convention on Landmines.
About Ottawa Convention (1997)
- The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of 1997 is informally known as the Ottawa Treaty or Mine Ban Treaty.
- The post-Cold War disarmament treaty aims at eliminating anti-personnel landmines (APLs) around the world.
- Mandates:
- Total Prohibition on use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
- Destruction of existing stockpiles within four years of joining the treaty.
- Victim assistance and mine clearance obligations.
- By March 2025, 165 states had ratified or acceded to the treaty.
- Non-signatories: United States, China, Russia, India and Pakistan.
Countries Announcing Withdrawal
- Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have announced intent to withdraw from the treaty. Norway is the only NATO border nation maintaining its commitment.
- Reason: Rising military threats from Russia, especially amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Countries argue the need to match Russian capabilities, as Russia is not a signatory.
Implications of Withdrawal
- Return to Stockpiling and Production: With exit, countries regain legal ability to produce, use, and stockpile landmines. Poland has explicitly expressed intentions to resume production.
- Reversal of Global Disarmament gains: Undermines decades of activism aimed at creating a mine-free world. Erodes the normative stigma associated with landmine use.
- Potential Expansion to Other Treaties: Some nations (E.g., Lithuania) are considering withdrawal from the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. These weapons disperse smaller bombs over a wide area, compounding humanitarian risks.
Landmines cause indiscriminate harm. 80% of victims are civilians, many of whom suffer permanent disabilities. Ukraine was declared the most mined country in the world in 2024.