NATO members Poland, Finland, and the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) have announced plans to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines.

Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention, 1997

• About: It is an international agreement aimed at eliminating the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
  • Commonly known as the Ottawa Convention or Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty.
  • It includes provisions to assist victims, many of whom have lost limbs and suffer from other permanent disabilities.

• Adopted: 18th September 1997 at the Diplomatic Conference in Oslo.
• Came into Effect: 1st March 1999.
• Scope
  • Prohibits anti-personnel mines only.
  • Does not cover anti-vehicle or anti-tank mines.
• Obligation: Signatories were required to destroy all anti-personnel landmine stockpiles within four years of joining.
• Current Parties: 165 States (as of March 2025).
• Non-Parties: India, US, Russia, China, Pakistan have not signed or ratified the treaty.
• India’s Stance: 
  • Security Threats: Porous borders and ongoing insurgencies necessitate landmines for defense.

Countries Exiting the Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention

• All European countries bordering Russia except Norway have announced plans to withdraw from the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.
  • Norway maintains its commitment to the treaty, emphasizing the importance of upholding the stigma against landmines.

Reasons for Exiting the Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention

• Security Concerns Due to Russian Threat: Countries like Poland, Finland, and the Baltic states fear increased military aggression from Russia. They believe landmines could be a crucial defense tool in the event of invasion or conflict.
• Strategic Military Parity: Exiting countries argue that remaining in the treaty puts them at a military disadvantage compared to nations that still use or stockpile landmines.
• Preparation for Escalation in Ukraine Conflict: Some nations fear that if the Russia-Ukraine war pauses, Russia could use the time to rearm and target neighbouring countries.

Impact of Exit from the Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention

• Weakens Global Norms: Multiple European countries quitting erodes the international stigma around landmines.
  • Along with this, US funding cuts (once $300 million/year, 40% of global support) have caused major declines in mine clearance efforts, per the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
• Rising Civilian Harm: Over 80% of victims are civilians; Ukraine had 1,286 civilian casualties by August 2024 and is now the most mined country, per the UN.
• Resumption of Mine Production: Exiting countries will be able to start producing, using, stockpiling, and transferring landmines once again.
  • Example: Poland plans to restart landmine production; Lithuania may also exit the 2008 Cluster Munitions Convention.
  • The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is an international treaty that prohibits all use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster munitions, a type of explosive weapons that release smaller submunitions over a vast area.