Commissioner of Human Rights: The withdrawal from the Treaty of the Prohibition of Mine threatens the lives of civilians

Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine have taken steps to withdraw or consider taking steps to withdraw from the agreement to prohibit the use, accumulation, production and transportation of anti -personnel mines and the destruction of those mines – also known as the Ottawa Treaty, relative to the Canadian city of Ottawa, which witnessed the launch of this process in 1996.

Volker Turk said in a statement: “These weapons threaten to inflict serious, continuous and long -term harm to civilians, including children. Like other treaties of international humanitarian law, the Ottawa treaty was mainly designed to regulate the behavior of the parties involved in armed conflicts.”

He stressed that commitment to this treaty in times of peace only, then withdrawing from it in times of war or for severe national security considerations, seriously undermines the framework of international humanitarian law.

Mine threatens 100 million people

Anti -personnel mines are one of the main types of mines and targets people – unlike anti -vehicle mines. However, since both types of these mines explode automatically, they lead to huge numbers of civilian mortality, especially children.

Its deadly risks continue for a long time after the end of hostilities, as it causes the pollution of agricultural lands, stadiums, and homes, and constitutes a continuous threat to civilians.

The Utawa Treaty was officially concluded in 1997. The treaty includes 166 countries, and has led to a noticeable decrease in the use of anti -personnel mines. But in recent years, these positive trends began to reflect, as the number of civilians who were killed and wounded with mines increased by 22 percent in 2024 – 85 percent of civilians and half of them were children.

Despite progress, about 100 million people are still in 60 countries living at the threat of landmines. In Ukraine, for example, the United Nations Department of Mine Affairs (Unamas) estimates that more than 20 percent of the country’s lands are polluted – equivalent to 139 thousand square kilometers. Likewise, landmines still pose a major threat in Cambodia, after decades of conflict and years of mines removal efforts.

Adherence to international law

Mr. Turk urged all parties to the Ottawa Treaty to adhere to its international legal obligations regarding the anti -personnel mines, and called on non -signatories to join the agreement.

He said: “With the suffering of many civilians as a result of the use of anti -personnel mines, I call on all countries to refrain from withdrawing from any treaty of international humanitarian law and suspending any withdrawal process that may be ongoing immediately.”