Why is the landmine conversation returning to the 1990s?

You have probably seen the news that Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania’s Defence Ministers recommended their countries leave the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines last month and that Finland made a similar decision this month citing security concerns. If these states go through with it, this is an unprecedented step backwards which is guaranteed to cause civilian injuries and deaths.

In the UK, a very conservative think tank posted an article saying the UK should leave the Ottawa Treaty and start stockpiling landmines again which led to a debate in their House of Lords. Then here at home, there have been two articles published saying Canada should leave the Ottawa Treaty too. I am not going to link any of these articles here because MAC isn’t in the habit of promoting nonsense, but sadly they have been published by two rather obscure platforms. 

But nonsense it is.

For decades, the international community has known that anti-personnel landmines kill and injure civilians by the thousands for years after conflicts end. So far 2025 has seen large numbers of casualties in Syria as people return home after years of conflict, casualties in Myanmar and Ukraine, and children dying in Cambodia decades after the war ended there. Landmines are banned for a reason; the civilian harm far outweighs any military advantage. But like vaccinations, the Ottawa Treaty is becoming a victim of its own success. The huge amount of land cleared and the reductions of casualties from over 20,000 a year in the early 1990s to 5,757 in 2023, means that people are starting to forget why these weapons were banned in the first place.

In trying to find a reason behind these actions, we need to separate out the States Parties looking to leave the Mine Ban Treaty and the pundits advocating against the Treaty in countries like Canada and the UK.

Let’s start with the pundits, these men (and they are all men) seem to be stuck in the 1990s and not in a good way with retro fashions and the music I loved growing up. They are stuck in the 90s in terms of how conflict is fought – anti-personnel landmines have little value against modern weapons such as drones and precision guided missiles – and by forgetting that even wars have limits. It seems like these pundits do not have answers to the current security challenges facing the world so have dug into dusty old books on cold war military strategy and decided that landmines are the answer. Perhaps they think that there is money to be made advocating for the use of landmines again but unfortunately this isn’t a New Kids on the Block reunion tour – trying to pull us back to the 90s has real implications for people’s lives and limbs.

For the states who are looking to leave the Ottawa Treaty, the rationale is focused on security concerns following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Having those security concerns is immensely logical, leaving the Ottawa Treaty in response is not.

We know landmines have limited military utility. They are not going to deter Russia from invading a neighbour. Landmines are not an effective deterrent and do not provide significant military advantage. Analysis from 1990s by the International Committee of the Red Cross and endorsed by many military officers found that minefields are easily breached or circumvented using modern technology and often end up being a hindrance to the miliary that laid them inhibiting foot patrols or not being in the right place at the right time. Landmines give a false sense of security while putting one’s own civilians and military personnel at risk.

Civil society’s conversations with these governments indicate that the decision to leave the Ottawa Treaty is being made for public perception. Their populations are rightfully scared and want their governments to do something to protect them. Rather than be realistic about the threat they face, the governments are leaving the Treaty to give the impression that they are doing something. They needed to give off the sense of doing something, so they are bringing back a banned weapon that they all know will not actually protect their population and that evidence shows is likely to cause civilian casualties. This is what one of our friends at Lex International called the “theatre of the cruel”. It is a performance for their citizens. By leaving the Ottawa Treaty, these states are aligning themselves with the users of landmines: Russia, Myanmar, Iran and North Korea.

The world has changed since the 90s and we are not prepared to go back to a time when new landmines are being laid, and new casualties are filling the local hospitals. 

The potential departure of these states is an unnecessary challenge for the Ottawa Treaty; however, it remains one of the most successful disarmament treaties in the world. Since the Treaty entered into force in 1999, a total of 30 States Parties have completed cleared anti-personnel landmines from their territory – with another state expected to complete clearance imminently. In 2023, States Parties cleared 281.50km² which resulted in 160,566 antipersonnel landmines being cleared and destroyed. In 2023, The Landmine Monitor reported 34 States Parties provided risk education to their citizens. Finally, the Ottawa Treaty was the first international disarmament treaty to include victim assistance obligations and since then the Treaty continues to break new ground in the provision of services to survivors and other victims. We have even seen a new State Party, the Marshall Islands, joining the Treaty in March 2025, and we’ve heard talk of opportunities to approach Syria to join the Treaty as well.

The Ottawa Treaty might be facing a challenge, but its strength is in the lives it saves and land it clears. As long as we stay committed to its full implementation, the Ottawa Treaty will continue to make real change for thousands of people every day.

The pro-landmine voices are trying to bring us back to the 90s but they forget what else happened in the 90s – everyday citizens calling for a ban on these horrific weapons. That’s a 90s trend that should come back!

We can all help strengthen the Ottawa Treaty and keep the conversation in the 2020s by using the excellent tools the ICBL has put out. This website has suggested posts and handles for social media you can use to reach out to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. It is crucial that Canada and other Ottawa Treaty leaders speak up strongly now to remind the world that landmines are never acceptable.  We can ask election candidates to be strong supporters of the Ottawa Treaty and once we have a new government reach out to your Member of Parliament and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

All countries should leave landmines in the 90s where they belong. 

In the face of such a challenge it is important to remember that trends are circular so we know that these countries will be back wanting to join the Ottawa Treaty again in a few years, let’s just hope it is before any of their citizens are killed or injured. In the meantime, the Ottawa Treaty will continue to save lives and limbs around the world.