Explainer
Landmines and the Ottawa Treaty: What Is Banned?
The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibits anti-personnel mines for States Parties and requires stockpile destruction, clearance and victim assistance.
Reviewed 18 September 2026. This is an evergreen explainer; case-specific legal findings should be checked against the newest authoritative source.
In short: The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibits anti-personnel mines for States Parties and requires stockpile destruction, clearance and victim assistance.
Landmines are explosive devices designed to detonate because of a person or vehicle’s presence, proximity or contact, depending on the type. The most prominent global prohibition concerns anti-personnel mines under the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, commonly called the Ottawa Treaty.
What the Ottawa Treaty prohibits
States Parties undertake not to use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer anti-personnel mines, and not to assist prohibited activity. The treaty also requires destruction of stockpiles and clearance of mined areas within specified frameworks.
Anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines are not identical
The Ottawa Treaty specifically targets anti-personnel mines—mines designed to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person. Anti-vehicle mines are subject to other rules and are not simply covered by the same blanket treaty prohibition.
Why mines remain dangerous after wars end
Mines do not know when a ceasefire is signed. Unless removed or rendered harmless, they can kill and injure civilians, block agriculture, prevent displaced families from returning and make reconstruction more expensive for years or decades.
Treaty membership matters
The Ottawa Treaty creates obligations for States Parties. States that are not party remain subject to other applicable IHL rules, including rules on distinction and precautions, and may be bound by other weapons treaties. Reporting should identify the legal basis rather than saying all mines are prohibited in all circumstances.
Marking, clearance and victim assistance
Mine action includes surveying suspected hazardous areas, marking them, clearing devices, educating communities about risk and supporting survivors. Casualty numbers alone do not capture the economic effects of contaminated land and restricted movement.
How to read battlefield claims
A photo of a device may not establish whether it is anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, command-detonated or improvised. Specialist identification is often needed. The legality of use can depend on design, treaty status, emplacement and precautions.
Frequently asked questions
Are all landmines banned?
No. The Ottawa Treaty bans anti-personnel mines for States Parties; other mine types are governed by different rules.
Do mines become legal after a war ends?
No. Existing obligations continue, and uncleared mines remain a humanitarian hazard.
What is mine action?
Survey, clearance, risk education, victim assistance and related work to reduce harm from mines and unexploded ordnance.