HI and International Campaign to Ban Landmine will meet Izumi Nakamitsu, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, to discuss ways to defend the treaty as threats are increasing: Five states have left the treaty and the use of these banned weapons is increasing
The meeting will take place as member states of the Ottawa Treaty will gather at the 2026 Intersessional Meetings on 15-18 June 2026 at the Centre International de Conférences de Genève (CICG).
Defending disarmament
HI will meet with Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, to discuss ways to defend the Ottawa Treaty and strengthen global disarmament efforts, at a time of growing fragility in international humanitarian law.
The key question will be how to encourage States Parties to take immediate and decisive action to counter these alarming developments.
Threat to the Ottawa Treaty
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland have officially withdrawn from the Ottawa Treaty. Ukraine’s announcement on 21 July that it would suspend its obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty until the end of its war with Russia is also a cause for concern. Such a suspension is not permitted under the treaty, whose core prohibitions cannot be waived during armed conflict.
The Treaty is also being undermined by non-signatory states such as Russia, which has made extensive use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine and elsewhere, or as the United States, which recently transferred such weapons to Ukraine.
A treaty highly effective in protecting civilians
The treaty has been one of the most effective disarmament agreements of the past 25 years. Adopted in 1997 and entering into force in 1999, the Ottawa Treaty prohibits the use of anti-personnel landmines. It contributed to reducing the annual number of victims from approximately 25,000 in the late 1990s to around 5,000 today.
Most countries recognise the great value of the Convention and continue to support it. Whilst the five European countries have withdrawn from the Convention, Lebanon only acceded to it on 1 May of this year – a significant step for a country in the midst of a conflict. Lebanon became the 162nd State Party to this historic treaty. Three quarters of the states of the planet are member to the Ottawa treaty, which makes it a powerful universal norm.
A real threat to civilians
Antipersonnel landmines are still a threat to civilians globally. According to the Landmine Monitor 2025, more than 90% of mine victims worldwide are civilians. Children accounted for 46% of casualties where age was recorded. The report documented at least 6,279 new casualties caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war across 52 countries and territories in 2024, including 1,945 fatalities.
The Landmine Monitor publishes on Thursday 11 June a Preliminary Casualty Overview that cover the 2025 year. Here are the 6 main figures and facts from this report:
• 40 countries had mine/ERW casualty data recorded, with 9 countries reporting more than 100 casualties in 2025.
• Syria recorded the highest casualties globally with 1,602 mine/ERW casualties, followed by Myanmar with 745.
• 95% of mine/ERW casualties were civilians in countries where civilian status was recorded — a percentage that remains consistent each year.
• Children represent a substantial and often majority share of casualties in several countries, particularly in Afghanistan (where children account for the majority), and South Sudan.
• Men make up the vast majority of adult casualties — about 84% of gender-disaggregated cases — reflecting exposure risks tied to agriculture, herding, and movement in contaminated areas.
• Injuries (two-third of casualties) outnumber deaths across nearly all affected countries, creating a large and growing population of survivors with long-term needs for rehabilitation, assistive devices, and psychosocial support.
