Addis Ababa: The UN Secretary-General, Ant³nio Guterres, is set to launch a global campaign to boost support for disarmament and mine action. Guterres announced the move in response to plans by several UN Member States to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the 1997 treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of these weapons. Since its inception, the treaty has led to a virtual halt in global production of anti-personnel mines and a drastic reduction in their deployment. More than 40 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed as a result, according to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
To date, 165 States are party to the treaty, and 133 have signed it, according to UN News. However, five European countries-Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland-have recently announced steps toward leaving the treaty, reportedly due to security concerns. The Secretary-General expressed grave concern over this development without naming specific countries.
At a time when civilians face heightened risks from widening conflicts, Guterres emphasized the importance of strengthening frameworks that protect human life and dignity. He stated that these announcements are troubling as they risk weakening civilian protection and undermining a normative framework that has saved countless lives over two decades.
Guterres urged all States to adhere to humanitarian disarmament treaties and halt any steps toward withdrawal. He also appealed to the 32 States that have yet to join the treaty, including China, Iran, Israel, Russia, and the United States, to do so without delay.
The Secretary-General’s campaign will focus on upholding humanitarian disarmament norms, accelerating mine action as an enabler of human rights and sustainable development, and advancing the vision of a mine-free world. Over the next six months, the campaign aims to re-energize public support for disarmament and facilitate concrete actions by States to uphold humanitarian norms and strengthen mine action.
Guterres concluded by stressing the urgency of the matter, saying that the protection of innocent lives depends on collective action and commitment.