It is with regret that today, December 27th, we mark the withdrawal of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from the Anti Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC). With the expiration of the six-month notification period, these three states are no longer legally bound by the provisions of the APMBC, also known as the Ottawa Treaty.
We call on these states to continue to uphold the norms established by the Treaty as non-party states, and to continue to engage with the APMBC community of which they have long been part.
We acknowledge the context of Russian aggression, the illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the legitimate fears of neighbouring states. It remains our view that the indiscriminate harm caused by landmines and their impact on civilians during and long after conflict means that their use is never acceptable.
We have welcomed expressions of continued commitment of the withdrawing states to International Humanitarian Law and hope that they will strive to find alternative means of self-defence that do not cause indiscriminate harm. And we hope that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will in the future take steps to rejoin the APMBC, in the firm belief that its full universalisation is the only guarantee against the inhumane effects and prolonged harm caused by landmines.
