One week after the Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland jointly recommended withdrawing from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Finland announced yesterday that it will prepare to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention.
This decision represents a dramatic erosion of norms that have protected civilians for decades. The DRC, a member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, strongly condemns this development and urges Finland to uphold the norm against anti-personnel landmines.
The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which entered into force on March 1, 1999, has 164 States Parties and is the cornerstone of international efforts to end the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.
Finland's decision undermines decades of work to eradicate landmines globally, build peace, and protect civilians from the indiscriminate effects of these horrendous weapons.
/ Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.
Landmines are indiscriminate weapons that harm civilians and combatants alike. They are hidden killers that continue to claim lives and limbs for generations.
According to the Landmine Monitor, 85% of victims in mine-contaminated areas are civilians, with 40% being children. Because they are untargeted, indiscriminate, and cause disproportionate suffering, they violate international humanitarian law (IHL), which exists to protect civilians.
Landmines have rightly been banned by countries worldwide and should never be used under any circumstances.
To protect civilian life and livelihoods now and in the future, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the ban on landmines must be upheld.
The DRC understands that geopolitical changes and security threats confront countries with difficult choices and dilemmas.
However, resorting to weapons that cause disproportionate and unacceptable harm to civilians is never the right choice.
The DRC deems Finland’s commitment to “a responsible use of mines” a contradiction in terms and strongly rejects it.
"Finland's decision undermines decades of work to eradicate landmines globally, build peace, and protect civilians from the indiscriminate effects of these horrendous weapons," says DRC's Secretary General, Charlotte Slente.
"Finland is a long-standing donor to humanitarian mine action (HMA) and a crucial actor in the Ottawa Convention. We call on Helsinki to reaffirm their commitment to norms aimed at safeguarding humanity in war," says Ms Slente.
Finland is a long-standing donor to humanitarian mine action (HMA) and a crucial actor in the Ottawa Convention. We call on Helsinki to reaffirm their commitment to norms aimed at safeguarding humanity in war.
/ Charlotte Slente, Secretary General of the Danish Refugee Council.
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