Landmine threat persists as nations shift away from Ottawa Convention, warns ICBL director

Record ID: 1988095

  • Title: Landmine threat persists as nations shift away from Ottawa Convention, warns ICBL director
  • Date: 3rd April 2025
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (APRIL 3, 2025) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO BAN LANDMINES, TAMAR GABLENICK, SAYING: "(What) these countries, unfortunately, would have to look forward to is once mines are laid, they're going to find that it's expensive, it's time consuming, it's dangerous to clear them, and in the meantime, communities can'
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Colombia Kosovo Myanmar Syria Ukraine conflicts explosives landmines mines victims
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: Various
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA008357402042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tamar Gabelnick, Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), warned of a growing shift away from the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which has banned anti-personnel landmines and helped destroy over 50 million. Several nations, citing security concerns, are now seeking to withdraw from the treaty.
    Gabelnick called landmines "the dumbest of weapons," noting that 85% of victims are civilians, with 40% of them children.
    NATO member Finland plans to quit the Ottawa Treaty, a global convention banning anti-personnel landmines and boost defence spending to at least 3% of GDP by 2029in response to the evolving military threat from Russia, the government said on Tuesday (April 1).
    Poland and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said last month they would withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa convention due to threats posed by neighbouring Russia.
    Gabelnick condemned these moves, stating that military studies show landmines offer limited utility but cause significant civilian harm.
    Anti-personnel landmines are designed to be hidden in the ground and detonate automatically when someone steps on them or passes by in their proximity.
    Finland destroyed over 1 million landmines after 2012, becoming the last EU state to sign the Ottawa convention, which has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 countries - but not by Russia.
    The 1997 treaty was one of a series of international agreements concluded after the end of the Cold War to encourage global disarmament. Anti-landmine campaigners won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.
    Mines have killed or maimed tens of thousands of civilians around the world, many of them long after wars have ended.
    Gabelnick highlighted the dangers of mine clearance, which is costly and hazardous, leaving communities displaced and unable to safely return home.
    She also urged nations to honour their commitments, warning, "there can never be any responsible use of an indiscriminate weapon."
    (Production: Jose Pablo Diaz)
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