27 February 2015

1 March 2015 marks 16 years since the Mine Ban Treaty entered into force! We have come a long way since the days where landmines were in widespread use by armies around the world.

ICBLers in Maputo 599x350

ICBL members in Maputo, Mozambique, June 2014

Thanks to the Mine Ban Treaty:

  • only a very small number of states still use antipersonnel landmine, while production and trade have dramatically decreased
  • there are fewer and fewer casualties
  • hundreds of thousands of people have access to safe land that has been cleared of antipersonnel mines
  • the rights and needs of landmine survivors, and of their families and communities, are being recognized, and efforts are made to fulfill them.

There is still a lot of work to be done, and States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty have agreed on an ambitious Action Plan in Maputo in June 2014 to bring us closer to a mine-free world. It's time to finish the job!

At the ICBL, we will continue to work closely with members of affected communities, survivors, clearance operators, experts and our members on all continents, advocating for all states to come on board the Mine Ban Treaty and to fully respect all its provisions. Are you in?

Happy Anniversary!

On behalf of the ICBL,
Amelie, Firoz, Jeff, Megan, Patrick and Zuzanna