Latest news with #Anti-PersonnelMineBanConvention
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Finnish parliament votes to exit landmines treaty due to Russia threat
HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland's parliament voted on Thursday in favour of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines amid concerns over a military threat posed by neighbouring Russia. Finland joins other European Union and NATO members bordering Russia - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland - in leaving or planning to leave the treaty, as fears grow about their much larger neighbour. President Alexander Stubb, who leads Finland's foreign and security policy, has defended the move. "The reality in the endgame is that we have as our neighbouring country an aggressive, imperialist state called Russia, which itself is not a member of the Ottawa Treaty and which itself uses landmines ruthlessly," he said. Russia has used landmines in its invasion of Ukraine. The Finnish decision follows similar votes in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where parliaments have approved the withdrawal. Finland, which guards NATO's longest border with Russia, will be able to start stockpiling landmines six months after formally notifying other treaty members and the United Nations of its resignation. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday launched a new effort to "uphold the norms of humanitarian disarmament", urging all states to adhere to existing treaties and immediately halt any steps towards their withdrawal. "I am gravely concerned by recent announcements and steps taken by several Member States to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention," he said in a statement. In response to Guterres' concerns, Finland's Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the aim of the withdrawal was to protect civilians and minimise the loss of human lives. "I believe that our government and parliament have a duty to take measures that reduce Finland's risk of being attacked," the minister said on social media X. "Protection against the Russian threat takes priority," he added. Parliament on Thursday also agreed to permit land mine exports under usual arms sale control procedures.
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Finnish parliament votes to exit landmines treaty due to Russia threat
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto speaks during the State Opening of Parliament in Helsinki, Finland February 7, 2024. Lehtikuva/Emmi Korhonen via REUTERS/File Photo HELSINKI (Reuters) -Finland's parliament voted on Thursday in favour of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines amid concerns over a military threat posed by neighbouring Russia. Finland joins other European Union and NATO members bordering Russia - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland - in leaving or planning to leave the treaty, as fears grow about their much larger neighbour. President Alexander Stubb, who leads Finland's foreign and security policy, has defended the move. "The reality in the endgame is that we have as our neighbouring country an aggressive, imperialist state called Russia, which itself is not a member of the Ottawa Treaty and which itself uses landmines ruthlessly," he said. Russia has used landmines in its invasion of Ukraine. The Finnish decision follows similar votes in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, where parliaments have approved the withdrawal. Finland, which guards NATO's longest border with Russia, will be able to start stockpiling landmines six months after formally notifying other treaty members and the United Nations of its resignation. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday launched a new effort to "uphold the norms of humanitarian disarmament", urging all states to adhere to existing treaties and immediately halt any steps towards their withdrawal. "I am gravely concerned by recent announcements and steps taken by several Member States to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention," he said in a statement. In response to Guterres' concerns, Finland's Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said the aim of the withdrawal was to protect civilians and minimise the loss of human lives. "I believe that our government and parliament have a duty to take measures that reduce Finland's risk of being attacked," the minister said on social media X. "Protection against the Russian threat takes priority," he added. Parliament on Thursday also agreed to permit land mine exports under usual arms sale control procedures. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen, editing by Anna Ringstrom and Ed Osmond)
Muscat Daily
2 days ago
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Oman reaffirms commitment to anti-personnel mine ban treaty
Geneva, Switzerland – Oman has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the principles of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and its continued cooperation with the international community to safeguard civilians and enhance human security. This pledge was reiterated during Oman's participation in the 12th Preparatory Session of the convention, held in Geneva, Switzerland, with broad participation from State Parties and representatives of international and humanitarian organisations. Delivering Oman's national statement, H E Idris bin Abdul Rahman al Khanjari, Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations and International Organisations in Geneva, underscored Oman's steadfast support for the convention's core principles. He also announced that Oman has fully met the requirements of Article 5 of the convention, highlighting the sultanate's firm commitment to implementing its provisions and actively engaging with its executive mechanisms. An official delegation from the Ministry of Defence, including Staff Colonel Khalid bin Abbas al Balushi and Staff Colonel Mohammed al Kaabi, attended the technical sessions.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Guterres To Launch Life-Saving Campaign Strengthening Mine Action Worldwide
16 June 2025 António Guterres announced the move in a statement issued on Monday, in response to plans by several UN Member States to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. The 1997 treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of these weapons. Landmark global agreeement Since then, it 'has led to a virtual halt in global production of anti-personnel mines, and a drastic reduction in their deployment,' and 'more than 40 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed,' according to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). To date, 165 States are party to the treaty and 133 have signed it. Five European countries – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – have recently announced that they intend to leave, or taken steps in this direction, reportedly due to security concerns related to Russia. Weakening protection, undermining progress Without naming countries, the Secretary-General expressed grave concern over the development. '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,' he said. 'These announcements are particularly troubling, as it risks weakening civilian protection and undermining two decades of a normative framework that has saved countless lives.' He urged all States 'to adhere to humanitarian disarmament treaties and immediately halt any steps towards their withdrawal,' and appealed to the 32 States that have yet to join the treaty to do so without delay. These countries include China, Iran, Israel, Russia, and the United States. About the campaign The Secretary-General's campaign will centre around upholding the norms of humanitarian disarmament, accelerating mine action as an enabler of human rights and sustainable development, and driving forward the vision of a mine-free world. 'To achieve these aims, over the next six months this campaign will aim to re-energise public support for disarmament and will also facilitate concrete actions by States to uphold humanitarian norms and strengthen mine action,' he said. He concluded by stressing that ' the urgency of this matter cannot be overstated,' saying 'the protection of innocent lives depends on our collective action and commitment.'
Euronews
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU countries' withdrawal from anti-landmine convention sparks controversy
ADVERTISEMENT Russia's war against Ukraine has led some EU countries to reassess use of anti-personnel mines leading to the prospect of their re-introduction to Europe after a long-standing ban under the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention . Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have all recently announced their plans to withdraw from the treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The treaty was agreed in 1997, since when 164 states have signed it including all EU member states as well as most African, Asian, and American countries. The 33 states which haven't signed up include China, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the US along with several Arab countries. Countries not joining the Ottawa Convention Euronews Anti-personnel mines were widely used around the world in 2024, according to the Landmine Monitor 2024 report, published by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC). In some cases, national armies or government forces have used them, such as Myanmar, which has deployed them since at least 1999, and Russia has made extensive use of them in its invasion of Ukraine, turning the country into the most heavily mined in the world. Anti-personnel mines are also often used by non-state armed groups. This was the case in 2024 in Colombia, Gaza, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and probably also in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, according to the report. At least 58 countries around the world are currently contaminated by anti-personnel mines. Where anti-personnel mines have been used in 2024 Euronews A 'weapon from the past' 'We know that over 80% of the victims of anti-personnel mines are civilians and especially children,' Gilles Carbonnier, vice president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, told Euronews. He considers anti-personnel mines 'weapons of the past', since they principally kill and maim civilians and have little military effectiveness. 'First, they often harm the army's own side, their own soldiers or friendly forces. Second, clearance is extremely costly and takes a long time,' he said, adding that Croatia has not yet cleared the last remaining mines from the Yugoslav Wars of 35 years ago. According to Landmine Monitor 2024 , anti-personnel mines caused 833 casualties in 2023, the highest annual number recorded since 2011. But beyond fatalities, anti-personnel mines leave behind a long trail of wounded and mutilated, according to Socialist Italian MEP Cecilia Strada, former president of the NGO Emergency, which was founded by her father in 1994. 'I saw the first person injured by a landmine when I was nine years old. Then I counted hundreds of them,' she told Euronews, recalling her past experiences in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Cambodia. Civilians are the main victims—84% of all recorded casualties, according to the statistics—because mines remain in situ long after conflicts end. 'In Afghanistan, I saw children stepping on landmines put there by Russians who had left the country 15 years before,' Strada said. Women and children are most affected in her experience. 'What happens in a war-economy, or a post-war economy? Men are at the front, or wounded, and so they can no longer bring home the bacon. So women and children graze sheep, take water from the rivers, cultivate the land, and go to collect metals.' ADVERTISEMENT 'Banning anti-personnel mines is quite obvious,' she states, recalling EU law and the Geneva Conventions on humanitarian law. 'But now, in Europe, we are going down a slippery slope.' Related Landmines are being used again. Bold UN action must help their post-conflict victims The plans of EU countries Defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland issued a joint statement to explain their recommendation to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, citing a 'fundamentally deteriorated security situation' in the Baltic region. Contacted by Euronews, Estonia's Defence Ministry said that 'there are currently no plans to develop, stockpile, or use anti-personnel mines.' However, with this decision, the four Baltic countries are sending a clear message, as they write in the statement: 'Our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom.' Finland's defence minister also explained the decision by stating: 'Withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention will give us the possibility to prepare for the changes in the security environment in a more versatile way.' ADVERTISEMENT Latvian government was even more outspoken in its answer to Euronews: "War in Ukraine has shown that unguided anti-personnel landmines, in combination with other mines and weapon systems, increase the lethality of defence forces by delaying or stopping Russian military mass movements". The Latvian Parliament will take the final decision on whether the country shall withdraw from the Ottawa Convention and Latvia does not currently plan to produce or transfer unguided anti-personnel mines to Ukraine. On the contrary, use of landmines is not ruled out: "In our opinion, anti-personnel mines can be used, to disperse enemy forces or channelize and direct it to deny terrain to the enemy that cannot be sufficiently defended", reads the government's statement to Euronews. Related Poland and Baltic states want to exit landmine treaty over Russia's military threat The European Union's institutions are broadly in line with these plans, despite the EU's position on the topic being very clear: 'Any use of anti-personnel mines anywhere, anytime, and by any actor remains completely unacceptable,' reads the official document on the ban against anti-personnel mines, adopted in 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Asked by Euronews during a press briefing, the European Commission stopped short of condemning the decisions of the five Baltic member states. 'We have contributed over 174 million since 2023 to humanitarian mine action, including 97 million euros specifically for mine clearance,' recalled Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni, without commenting on the withdrawal plans. The topic was included in the European Parliament's annual report on the 'Implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy' voted on in April in Strasbourg. An amendment that 'strongly condemns the intention of some member states to withdraw from the 1997 Convention' was rejected by a show of hands. Another motion, tabled by the European People's Party and approved with 431 votes in favour, essentially justifies the steps taken by the Baltic countries and blames Russia for them. ADVERTISEMENT But Russian threats do not justify EU countries responding in kind, Gilles Carbonnier told Euronews. 'International humanitarian law and humanitarian disarmament treaties apply precisely in exceptional circumstances of armed conflict, in the worst of circumstances. And international humanitarian law does not rest on reciprocity, because this would trigger a downward spiral,' he said. Moves such as these by EU countries could provoke a domino effect, he claimed, sending a 'negative signal' to those countries around the world that are in armed conflict but are still adhere to the convention. 'They might say: 'Why should we continue to adhere to that treaty?'' ADVERTISEMENT
