“Landmines can no longer stop an enemy - but they keep killing civilians”: States urged to uphold the Ottawa Treaty

As six  States consider suspending or withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty to regain the legal right to deploy antipersonnel landmines, Nobel-Prize co-laureate Humanity & Inclusion warns that such a move is both dangerous and militarily ineffective. The organisation is urging all governments to reaffirm their commitment to the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines which was signed on 3rd December 1997. 

“The humanitarian, environmental, and financial costs of anti-personnel landmines far outweigh any temporary military advantage they might offer,” says Gary Toombs, Humanity & Inclusion’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist. “They no longer serve as reliable barriers to movement - only as lasting threats to civilians.”

Published today on December 1st, the Landmine Monitor 2025 reports at least 6,279 victims of landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024 - the highest annual figure since 2020, and a 9% increase from the previous year. An overwhelming 90% were civilians, with 46% of them children.

Ukraine has recently become the sixth state to suspend or withdraw  from the Mine Ban treaty

As Ukraine grapples with the devastating legacy of war, explosive ordnance contamination is emerging as one of the gravest threats to its recovery, inflicting billions in economic losses and prolonging the displacement of millions of citizens.

Landmines are part of the explosive weapons contaminating the country. In 2024, Ukraine was one of the countries with the most recorded casualties (293) according to the 2025 Landmine Monitor. Landmines and explosive weapons have been used extensively in Ukraine since 2022, and Ukraine is now the most contaminated country worldwide. 

Ukraine recently became the sixth state to withdraw  or declare its intention to suspend from the Ottawa convention which bans anti-personnel mines, following Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Importantly, the Treaty does not permit suspension of its obligations, including during times of conflict.  This decision sets an extremely worrying precedent.

Outdated and ineffective 

Landmines have historically been used to block or slow the advance of enemy troops. But their effectiveness in modern warfare is significantly diminished due to advances in technology:

• Minefields can now be breached in minutes, using armoured engineering vehicles and explosive line charges.
• Drones and satellite imagery allow opposing forces to detect and map minefields almost instantly.
• Modern military planning often involves exploiting weak points, and once a minefield is mapped, whether through drone reconnaissance or intelligence, survey and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, it can be circumvented or breached rapidly and with precision.

“no minefield can stop a determined and technologically capable force. They cause disruption, not decisive delay. Mines may complicate a military operation, but they no longer determine its outcome.” explains Toombs,

“Smart Mines” are still deadly

Some States argue for the use of so-called “smart” or “non-persistent” landmines that self-deactivate. But these systems still fail at alarming rates, leaving lethal remnants behind. 

“The claim that so-called “smart” or “non-persistent” antipersonnel mines are somehow safer is deeply misleading,” says Toombs. “Even when designed to self-destruct or self-deactivate, these mines still fail at alarming rates. For example, U.S. testing of the CBU-89 “Gator” mine system found failure rates between 6% and 21%, far exceeding the internationally accepted failure rate limit of 0.1% under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Even a conservative 2% failure rate in a remotely delivered minefield of 1,000 submunitions means 20 live, unaccounted-for explosive devices, each one a lethal hazard to civilians and deminers long after the conflict ends."

“From a humanitarian perspective, there is no meaningful difference - if a modern mine fails to self-destruct, it’s just as lethal as a traditional one,” adds Toombs.

Antipersonnel landmine appear as outdated weapons

On actual battlefields, one can see the use of new technologies that can deter, detect, and delay hostile incursions without leaving behind a deadly legacy for civilians.
Modern militaries and security forces are currently exploring   the use of:

• Sensor-based intrusion detection systems (seismic, acoustic, infrared), which can track movement without physical danger.
• Remotely operated weapon stations (ROWS) that are human-in-the-loop, meaning a person must authorise any engagement, ensuring accountability, discrimination, and compliance with the principles of proportionality and distinction under international humanitarian law.
• Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and drones that provide persistent ISR (Intelligence, Survey and Reconnaissance) coverage.
• Mobile patrols supported by AI-powered analytics that prioritise threats and monitor environmental changes in real time.

A step backward

While security needs are real, resorting to landmines is not a rational military solution, it’s a symbolic gesture, often rooted in outdated doctrine or domestic political pressure rather than military effectiveness. “History shows us that landmines do not stop determined adversaries,” said Toombs. “But they do delay the inevitable at a tremendous humanitarian and financial cost. Clearance takes years, if not decades, and the long-term consequences, civilian casualties, agricultural loss, environmental damage, and economic stagnation, far outweigh any short-term tactical benefit. Their continued use is a failure of imagination and responsibility.”

Humanity & Inclusion urges all governments to reaffirm their commitment to the Ottawa Treaty and uphold international humanitarian law.

Notes

Interviews available with Gary Toombs, Humanity & Inclusion’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist. 

About the Ottawa Treaty:

Humanity & Inclusion is co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel peace prize as a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Our work led to the Mine Ban Treaty also called the Ottawa Treaty.  

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, known as the Ottawa Treaty, has 164 States Parties committed to eliminating these weapons and supporting mine clearance, victim assistance, and international cooperation.