Guterres launches campaign to save global anti-landmine treaty after withdrawal threats

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has launched a global campaign to defend the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention following plans by several countries to withdraw from the landmark treaty, warning that civilian lives are at risk.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday announced the launch of a new international campaign aimed at reinforcing the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Convention, amid growing concerns over potential withdrawals by several UN Member States.

The move follows recent announcements by five European countries – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – indicating their intentions to exit or review their commitments to the treaty. The decisions are reportedly linked to heightened security concerns stemming from Russia's actions in the region.

In a strongly worded statement, Guterres expressed grave concern over the development, warning that such moves risk undermining a treaty that has “led to a virtual halt in global production of anti-personnel mines, a drastic reduction in their deployment,” and the destruction of over 40 million stockpiled mines, according to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

“At a time when civilians face heightened risks from widening conflicts, it is imperative that we strengthen the frameworks that protect human life and dignity,” Guterres said, without naming specific countries.

He called on all states to “adhere to humanitarian disarmament treaties and immediately halt any steps towards their withdrawal,” and urged the 32 countries that have yet to join the treaty — including China, Iran, Israel, Russia, and the United States — to do so without delay.

Guterres said the campaign, set to run for the next six months, will focus on three key areas: upholding the norms of humanitarian disarmament, accelerating mine action as a driver of human rights and sustainable development, and promoting a vision of a mine-free world.

“The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated,” he said. “The protection of innocent lives depends on our collective action and commitment.”

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