GENEVA (16 June 2026) – A UN Human Rights report
published Tuesday warns about the persistent use of
anti-personnel land mines and their dire impacts on
civilians, urging States to uphold international law
limiting their use and to protect the rights of survivors
and communities through sustained support.
At least 58
States and territories were contaminated with anti-personnel
mines in 2025, says the report. Latest estimates suggest
States continue to hold millions of anti-personnel mines in
their stockpiles.
“It is deeply troubling that
almost 30 years since the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty was
adopted, these explosive weapons continue to kill and injure
people – often decades after they were placed,” said UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, adding that
when breadwinners are injured, this often leaves women
shouldering the burden of caregiving on their
own.
“It is essential that all States recommit to
putting an end to the production, use and transfer of these
weapons and redouble their efforts to cooperate in clearing
mines already placed.”
According to the most recent
available numbers cited in the report, at least 1,945 people
were killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive
remnants of war in 2024. The States with the highest rates
of casualties were Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine,
Nigeria, Mali, Yemen and Burkina Faso.
Where the
status of the person is known, says the report, civilians
make up approximately 90 per cent of all recorded casualties
of anti-personnel mines, adding that children have made up
over 40 per cent of all civilian casualties recorded since
1999.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
The Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Convention (also
known as the Ottawa Convention) has 162 States parties.
However, numerous States, including permanent members of the
Security Council and others whose armed forces have used or
maintain considerable stockpiles of anti-personnel mines,
are not yet parties. Five States – Estonia, Finland,
Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – have recently withdrawn from
the treaty. Ukraine, a State party, has indicated suspension
of its implementation of the
Convention.
Anti-personnel mines kill and maim
individuals, with those injured suffering amputations, eye
injuries, and sometimes hearing loss, among other
life-altering injuries, and are often left facing life-long
difficulties, the report notes. Mine contamination renders
areas no-go zones, which hampers enjoyment of a multitude of
rights. Mines along transportation routes can prevent access
to essential services and humanitarian assistance reaching
populations in need. They can drive and prolong
displacement, and prevent land from being safely used for
agriculture or livelihoods, contributing to food insecurity
and economic hardship.
The report also notes that
mines planted in and around schools have endangered children
and hindered their education. Contamination of explosive
remnants of war, including anti-personnel mines, has also
been observed to hamper economic development for decades and
can delay post-conflict reconstruction.
“States that
have not yet ratified the treaty should promptly do so and
those that have withdrawn should quickly rejoin. States that
are parties to it should adhere to its provisions in good
faith,” said Türk.
He hailed Lebanon’s recent
decision to join the Mine-Ban Convention, even when faced
with grave security threats.
The High Commissioner
also called on States to provide reparations for violations
that result from the use of anti-personnel mines, in
accordance with international law.
“A central
priority for States must be to ensure the rights of
survivors and other affected individuals and communities to
access healthcare, rehabilitation, education, employment and
social security, while also promoting their full inclusion
and participation in society. The full participation of
affected communities in decision making is key,” he
said.
The report calls on States to support
international cooperation efforts, including through
sustained and predictable funding. In the seven years up to
2025, contributions to the United Nations Voluntary Trust
Fund for Assistance in Mine Action sharply decreased from
USD 125 million to USD 46 million, it says.
The report
is based on information from a wide range of sources,
including contributions by States, as well as
inter-governmental, humanitarian and civil society
organizations. It will be presented to the UN Human Rights
Council on 26 June 2026.
The list of States parties to
the Ottawa Convention can be found here
https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-5&chapter=26&clang=_en
