Organizations are calling for decisive action against the withdrawal of several states from humanitarian disarmament treaties.
Today, civil society organizations, many of which work in war and conflict zones, are protesting in front of the Brandenburg Gate against the withdrawal of states from the treaties banning anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions and for a universal ban on these weapons.
September 18 marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The convention is considered a milestone in humanitarian disarmament and has been signed by over 160 states, including Germany.
The same applies to the Oslo Convention banning cluster munitions, which has over 120 signatories. Cluster munitions disperse up to several hundred explosive devices over a wide area, many of which fail to explode and then act like mines.
Both international treaties represent the recognition by an overwhelming majority of countries that these weapons do not create security, but rather cause lasting suffering. Anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions are outlawed under international law because they act indiscriminately and approximately 85 percent of their victims are civilians, including many children.
Europe now faces a major setback: In response to Russia's use of anti-personnel mines in its illegal war against Ukraine, several states bordering the Russian Federation or Belarus—Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Poland—have declared their withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. Ukraine has suspended its implementation. Lithuania has also already withdrawn from the Oslo Convention.
"The planned withdrawal of several European states from the ban on anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions is a fatal step backwards and a danger to civilians in conflict zones – not only during hostilities, but also decades later," warns Ralf Willinger, an expert on children in armed conflict and peace culture at the children's rights organization Terre des Hommes . "Approximately 40 percent of the victims of mines and cluster munitions are children, who often innocently play with them and are then killed or maimed. The two treaties banning these insidious weapons are milestones in international law that have already saved countless lives."
"Since the Ottawa Convention entered into force in 1999, a total of 30 states parties have completed the clearance of all anti-personnel mines in their territory. We see how living space is being reclaimed daily in many affected countries. This life-saving convention is the foundation for such progress and must not be weakened," emphasizes Eva Maria Fischer of Handicap International Germany.
Germany's role has also drawn criticism. Despite its key role in the creation of the two conventions, the German government has refrained from publicly criticizing its European partners' announced withdrawals. "Those who remain silent now risk the crumbling of decades of success in humanitarian disarmament," warns Yannick Kiesel, Peace Policy Officer at the German Research Foundation (DFG-VK). "Germany must be much more active in advocating for compliance with and universalization of these treaties – also to prevent double standards within the EU."
The demands:
- All European states must remain party to the life-saving treaties banning anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.
- Germany must use its diplomatic voice and political influence to prevent states from withdrawing and to win further signatories.
- Humanitarian disarmament efforts must be strengthened rather than weakened worldwide.
"Security is not created by anti-personnel mines or cluster munitions, but by their outlawing," emphasizes Mathias John, arms expert at Amnesty International Germany. "Only a universal ban can prevent these deadly weapons from being used again on a widespread basis and threatening human rights."