UN Report: At least 58 countries and territories contaminated with anti-personnel mines

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the fact alarming that almost three decades after the adoption of the Convention on the Prohibition Against Torture, these devices continue to kill and maim people, often decades after installation.

According to the data presented in the report, in 2024, at least 1,945 people died from mines and explosive remnants of war, and 4,325 were injured. The highest number of casualties was recorded in Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen, and Burkina Faso. About 90 percent of all victims and the injured are civilians, with children comprising more than 40 percent of this number.

Despite the Ottawa Mine Ban Convention being ratified by 162 states, a number of countries, including permanent members of the Security Council, remain outside the treaty. Five states – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – have recently withdrawn from it, and Ukraine has announced a suspension of fulfilling its obligations.

The report emphasizes that mines not only maim people, leaving them with disabilities for life, but also turn entire areas into no-go zones, restricting access to medicine, education, and humanitarian aid, hindering the development of agriculture and undermining economic growth. Mined schools put children’s lives at risk and violate their right to education.

Turkey called on states that have not joined the treaty to do so without delay, and those that have withdrawn – to return. He welcomed Lebanon’s decision to join the convention despite the difficult security situation. The High Commissioner also emphasized the necessity of providing reparations for violations related to the use of mines, and ensuring victims’ access to medical care, rehabilitation, education, employment, and social protection.

The report notes a sharp reduction in international financing: contributions to the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action fell from $125 million to $46 million over seven years.