The United Nations (UN) has called for increased international efforts to halt the use of anti-personnel mines and to clear existing stockpiles. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern that these explosive weapons continue to kill and injure people, despite the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty adopted nearly 30 years ago.
Türk emphasized the need for states to recommit to ending the production, use, and transfer of these weapons and to enhance cooperation in clearing deployed mines.
Thousands of Fatalities and Injuries
A recently released report highlights that anti-personel mines impact all human rights, including civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. The report indicates that these mines are still in use, causing at least 1,945 deaths and 4,325 injuries in 2024. The highest casualty rates were recorded in Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen, and Burkina Faso. Civilians account for approximately 90% of all recorded casualties, with children making up over 40% of all civilian casualties since 1999.
Amputations, Blindness, and No-Go Zones
The report details the human rights consequences of anti-personnel mines. Civilians have suffered loss of limbs, eye injuries including blindness, and hearing loss due to stepping on or touching these weapons. Children face more severe physical trauma and higher mortality rates from anti-personnel mine injuries compared to adults. Mine contamination renders areas uninhabitable, hindering civilian access to essential services, impeding humanitarian aid, and causing displacement. It also renders agricultural land unusable, leading to food insecurity and economic hardship. Mines placed around schools endanger children and disrupt their education. Mine contamination can also impede economic development for decades and delay post-conflict reconstruction.
Call to States
Currently, 162 states are party to the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines, also known as the Ottawa Convention. However, some permanent members of the UN Security Council and certain countries with significant stockpiles have not yet joined the convention. Furthermore, five countries—Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland—recently withdrew from the treaty. Ukraine, despite being a state party, has reported suspending the treaty’s implementation. Türk urged states that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so immediately and those that have withdrawn to rejoin promptly. He also called on states party to the treaty to adhere to its provisions in good faith. Türk commended Lebanon’s decision to join the treaty despite significant security threats. The High Commissioner also urged states to provide reparations for violations resulting from the use of anti-personnel mines and to ensure access to healthcare, rehabilitation, education, employment, and social security for survivors and affected communities. The report is scheduled to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on June 26.
