Geographical Magazine Legacies of conflict: despite huge progress, the landmine crisis continues 10 Feb 2021 The international effort to stem the landmine crisis has been a humanitarian success story. The 2019 casualty numbers, however, reveal there is work yet to be done
Signatories to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty – which earned the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize – are obligated to cease production and development; to destroy stockpiles within four years; and to clear areas contaminated with anti-personnel mines within ten years. Some 159 countries have completed the destruction of stockpiles and 33 are now considered to be landmine free.
There’s still work to be done, however. Worldwide, 60 states are contaminated with landmines, 32 of which are signatories to the Mine Ban Treaty. Just six of these are on target to reach the 2025 deadline for full landmine clearance and seven have requested ext