Speaking at a UN meeting on the landmark Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Convention, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on state parties to the treaty to strengthen their commitment to a world free of anti-personnel landmines.

"Anti-personnel landmines are among the cruelest and most indiscriminate weapons ever created," said Guterres. "They kill and maim long after conflicts end. And four out of every five victims are civilians – often children."

According to the recently launched Landmine Monitor, more than 6,000 people were killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024, the highest annual total since 2020. Civilians made up 90 per cent of casualties, almost half of them children.

The 22nd Meeting of States Parties to the Convention, which opened in Geneva, Switzerland, on 1 December, comes at a time of significant challenges for banning the production and use of landmines. Recent developments, including withdrawals and announcements regarding the suspension of obligations — a step not foreseen under the Convention — highlight the need for renewed commitment to its principles.

"In 1997, world leaders met in Ottawa to sign the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. There they pledged to protect human life – and vowed that humanitarian norms must never yield to military objectives. Yet today, as conflicts rage, some States waver in their commitment," added Guterres.

Anti-personnel landmines, incapable of distinguishing between combatants and civilians, continue to devastate lives decades after hostilities cease. Survivors often face long and complex recovery and rehabilitation, frequently accompanied by social and economic marginalization. Contaminated land blocks humanitarian access, hinders reconstruction, and stalls sustainable development.

"We must recommit to protecting lives, respecting international law and restoring hope to communities threatened by landmines," urged Guterres.

For more than 25 years, the Ottawa Convention has delivered tangible results. Casualties have fallen significantly, millions of stockpiled mines have been destroyed, vast areas of contaminated land have been cleared, and many countries have declared themselves mine-free.

Today, 166 States — more than three-quarters of UN Member States — are party to the Convention, fostering a strong global norm against anti-personnel mines. Recent accessions of the Marshall Islands and Tonga underscore continued progress.

The Secretary-General's Campaign on humanitarian disarmament and mine action, co-led by UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and UN Mine Action Service, and supported by the Inter-agency Coordination Group on mine action, calls for urgent collective action to uphold international humanitarian law, strengthen partnerships and ensure that obligations under the Convention translate into meaningful, people-centered progress.

The 22nd Meeting of States Parties, which takes place from 1 to 5 December 2025, offers an important moment to reaffirm the Convention's purpose and reinforce the stigma against anti-personnel landmines.