The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (also referred to as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention or the Ottawa Treaty) was signed by 122 countries in 1997 and entered into force in 1999. Observers credit it with reducing global anti-personnel mine stockpiles, facilitating landmine clearance and lowering civilian casualty rates. In 2025, several States Parties to the Ottawa Treaty that border Russia announced their withdrawal from the treaty, citing changing security environments in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These are the first such withdrawals in the treaty’s history and occur in the context of broader pressures on global arms control agreements and norms. This HillStudy reviews the origins and provisions of the Ottawa Treaty, its humanitarian impact and the implications of recent withdrawals within the wider context of multilateral arms control.
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