GENEVA – A UN Human Rights report published Tuesday warns about the persistent use of anti-personnel land mines and their dire impacts on civilians, urging States to uphold international law limiting their use and to protect the rights of survivors and communities through sustained support.
At least 58 States and territories were contaminated with anti-personnel mines in 2025, says the report. Latest estimates suggest States continue to hold millions of anti-personnel mines in their stockpiles.
“It is deeply troubling that almost 30 years since the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty was adopted, these explosive weapons continue to kill and injure people – often decades after they were placed,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, adding that when breadwinners are injured, this often leaves women shouldering the burden of caregiving on their own.
“It is essential that all States recommit to putting an end to the production, use and transfer of these weapons and redouble their efforts to cooperate in clearing mines already placed.”
According to the most recent available numbers cited in the report, at least 1,945 people were killed and 4,325 injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024. The States with the highest rates of casualties were Myanmar, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Mali, Yemen and Burkina Faso.
Where the status of the person is known, says the report, civilians make up approximately 90 per cent of all recorded casualties of anti-personnel mines, adding that children have made up over 40 per cent of all civilian casualties recorded since 1999.
The Anti-Personnel Mine-Ban Convention (also known as the Ottawa Convention) has 162 States parties. However, numerous States, including permanent members of the Security Council and others whose armed forces have used or maintain considerable stockpiles of anti-personnel mines, are not yet parties. Five States – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – have recently withdrawn from the treaty. Ukraine, a State party, has indicated suspension of its implementation of the Convention.
Anti-personnel mines kill and maim individuals, with those injured suffering amputations, eye injuries, and sometimes hearing loss, among other life-altering injuries, and are often left facing life-long difficulties, the report notes. Mine contamination renders areas no-go zones, which hampers enjoyment of a multitude of rights. Mines along transportation routes can prevent access to essential services and humanitarian assistance reaching populations in need. They can drive and prolong displacement, and prevent land from being safely used for agriculture or livelihoods, contributing to food insecurity and economic hardship.
The report also notes that mines planted in and around schools have endangered children and hindered their education. Contamination of explosive remnants of war, including anti-personnel mines, has also been observed to hamper economic development for decades and can delay post-conflict reconstruction.
“States that have not yet ratified the treaty should promptly do so and those that have withdrawn should quickly rejoin. States that are parties to it should adhere to its provisions in good faith,” said Türk.
He hailed Lebanon’s recent decision to join the Mine-Ban Convention, even when faced with grave security threats.
The High Commissioner also called on States to provide reparations for violations that result from the use of anti-personnel mines, in accordance with international law.
“A central priority for States must be to ensure the rights of survivors and other affected individuals and communities to access healthcare, rehabilitation, education, employment and social security, while also promoting their full inclusion and participation in society. The full participation of affected communities in decision making is key,” he said.
The report calls on States to support international cooperation efforts, including through sustained and predictable funding. In the seven years up to 2025, contributions to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action sharply decreased from USD 125 million to USD 46 million, it says.
The report is based on information from a wide range of sources, including contributions by States, as well as inter-governmental, humanitarian and civil society organizations. It will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 26 June 2026.
The list of States parties to the Ottawa Convention can be found here
