On 8 May 2025, Lithuania’s parliament unanimously voted to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC). Norwegian People’s Aid condemns the country’s vote to leave another life-saving humanitarian treaty, after its unprecedented withdrawal from the Convention on Cluster Munitions in March this year. This is an irresponsible move that puts the protection of civilians at great risk and undermines the importance of international humanitarian law (IHL).
“Lithuania’s decision is short-sighted and dangerous. In times of heightened risk of conflict, states must strengthen their commitments to rules and norms aimed at protecting civilians,” says Aksel Steen-Nilsen, Director for Mine Action and Disarmament in Norwegian People's Aid, in response to the news.
The APMBC, which was negotiated and adopted in Oslo in 1997, is the cornerstone of international humanitarian law and has put an end to the grave humanitarian crisis caused by the widespread use of anti-personnel mines. By design, such mines cannot distinguish between soldiers and civilians and can be triggered by very little pressure – just a few kilograms – so even a child stepping on one can set it off. These deadly devices remain hidden in the ground for decades and turn the daily life of local communities into a life-threatening gamble. The numbers speak for themselves - in 2023, 84 % of recorded landmine casualties were civilians— 37 % of them children.
The Convention has been a massive success and saved countless lives and limbs - the annual number of anti-personnel mine casualties has fallen by over 75% from its peak in the late 1990s.
The Lithuanian decision follows a parliamentary vote in Latvia, which approved the country’s withdrawal on 16 April. Intentions to abandon the APMBC were announced earlier also by Poland, Estonia, and Finland. These ill-informed decisions can have repercussions far beyond Europe’s eastern flank and should raise alarm globally, as they threaten to undermine the global norm and stigma against these horrific weapons and weaken the rules-based world order we all rely on.
NPA urges both Lithuania and Latvia—as well as those countries still considering withdrawal—to look at the evidence and reconsider their decisions. Anti-personnel mines do not stop invasions and do not win wars — what they actually do is terrorize, kill and injure civilians for generations to come.
Security illusions cannot guide defense strategies. Anti-personnel mines are banned by more than 160 states for a reason.
NPA calls on all States Parties to the APMBC to join civil society in voicing their opposition and standing strong behind the Convention. Now is the time for action.
In response to the unprecedented decisions by some states to leave the APMBC, NPA has developed a Frequently Asked Questions page:
Further reading
Interventions to prevent withdrawals from the Mine Ban Treaty
