A Setback to Decades of Progress as 5 NATO Countries Withdraw from Landmine Ban Treaty

Concerns grow as the decision by five NATO countries to withdraw from the landmine ban treaty ahead of a key meeting in Geneva aimed at promoting a landmine-free world.

 The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland’s recent announcements within the past three weeks pose a serious setback to efforts to protect civilians in armed conflicts.

The first four countries, in a joint statement on March 18, said that Russia’s aggression—manifested in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine—has compelled them to begin steps to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, which seeks to eliminate anti-personnel landmines. Finland made a similar announcement last week.

These developments have emerged just ahead of a three-day meeting beginning Wednesday in Geneva, organized by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD).

Tobias Privitelli, head of GICHD, admitted to journalists that the conference will take place in a “challenging environment.”

He noted that decades of progress toward a mine-free world are now at risk.

James Staples, Head of Policy and Advocacy at UNMAS, said that nearly 60 countries or regions—from Ukraine to Myanmar, Sudan, and Syria—are affected by explosive weapons, impacting millions of people on a daily basis.

Cuts in U.S. Aid

The challenges facing both organizations have been exacerbated by recent cuts in U.S. funding for foreign aid.

Although the U.S. is not among the 160 signatories of the Ottawa Treaty, it has been the single largest national funder of mine action efforts.

According to the 2024 Landmine Monitor, Washington contributed around $300 million annually, accounting for nearly 40% of global mine action funding.

Staples emphasized that U.S. contributions have undoubtedly saved lives and made a difference for millions.

While some programs have received short-term exemptions, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) warned that long-term funding remains uncertain, leaving thousands of trained deminers in limbo.

Since the treaty’s inception three decades ago, the number of people killed or injured by landmines has dropped from over 25,000 to under 5,800 in 2023, and millions of mines have been destroyed globally.

Staples added that when other explosive remnants of war—such as cluster munitions and improvised explosive devices (IEDs)—are included, the total number of casualties in 2023 rose to nearly 15,000.

Privitelli pointed out that 85% of victims of explosive weapons are civilians, and more than half of them are children.

He added that in many regions, the threat from landmines persists for decades after the end of conflicts, posing a long-term hidden danger.

Concerns Grow

Once a symbol of progress in humanitarian disarmament, mine-free declarations are now being overshadowed by renewed conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, Myanmar, and parts of the Middle East and Africa. The reintroduction of landmines—often indiscriminately deployed—has caused a tragic rise in civilian casualties, especially among children.

“Years of painstaking work to clear contaminated land are being undone,” said Alicia Sanders-Zakre, Policy and Research Coordinator at ICBL. “We’re seeing countries that were once leaders in mine clearance backslide or divert attention due to other geopolitical priorities.”

Experts warn that unless urgent action is taken—including renewed funding, enforcement of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, and increased international cooperation—progress made over the past two decades could be lost, putting millions at risk in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.