The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention: 15 Years On

Monday, 23 June 2014, marked the beginning of the third Maputo Review Conference. The 161 states parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (the APM Ban Convention) are meeting in the Mozambican capital to assess the operation and status of the convention and, if necessary, to adopt a roadmap for its future implementation.

The APM Ban Convention is the cornerstone of the international effort to end the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines. Every year, existing and newly placed anti-personnel mines kill and maim thousands of people, most of whom are civilians. In 2012, for instance, 78% of landmine or other explosive remnants of war casualties were civilian. Of all civilian cases, child casualties accounted for 47%. The impact on the physical, psychological and economic wellbeing of communities who are affected by anti-personnel landmines is immeasurable.

The Maputo Review Conference marks 15 years since the APM Ban Convention entered into force on 1 March 1999. The convention therefore represents a historic landmark for ending the suffering caused by anti-personnel mines. [...]

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Photo courtesy of Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.