Context:
The United States has recently taken significant steps in its military support to Ukraine, including approving the supply of anti-personnel landmines, despite these being banned under the 1997 Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention. This move has raised concerns about the implications for international norms and agreements. Additionally, the U.S. has supplied Ukraine with the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a long-range missile system capable of striking targets inside Russian territory.
Relevance:
GS II: International Relations
Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention, 1997 Overview
- The Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention, also known as the Ottawa Convention or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, is an international treaty aimed at eradicating the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
- This treaty was finalized at the Diplomatic Conference on an International Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Landmines held in Oslo on September 18, 1997, and it officially came into effect on March 1, 1999.
Scope and Limitations:
- The convention specifically bans anti-personnel mines, which are designed to injure or kill people. It does not, however, prohibit anti-vehicle mines, which are intended to disable or destroy vehicles.
Membership and Participation:
- Initially signed by 133 states, the convention now boasts 164 state parties that have ratified or acceded to the treaty.
- Notable countries such as the United States, Russia, and India are not parties to the convention. Ukraine, while a signatory, has not ratified the treaty.
Understanding Anti-Personnel Landmines:
- Landmines are explosive devices concealed under or on the ground, designed to explode from the proximity, contact, or manipulation by enemy forces.
- Types of Mines: Anti-personnel mines target individual soldiers, causing injury or death, whereas anti-tank mines are engineered to destroy or incapacitate armored vehicles.
-Source: Live Mint
