In coordination with the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings later this month in Geneva, ICBL and Handicap International (HI)-Switzerland have installed the banner you see attached, now displayed on the iconic Broken Chair in front of the UN in Geneva.
The banner hanging coincides with the launch of ICBL/CMC public campaign calling on Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland to stop their withdrawal plans and remain in the Mine Ban Treaty.
A petition asking these states to reconsider their actions has already reached over 75% of its target and continues to grow! You can view and sign the petition here: https://bit.ly/45Dq9x0
To the leaders of EU, NATO, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
PETITION
“We call on you to stand with landmine survivors and millions of innocent people around the world who still live with the daily threat of landmines. Walking away now would bury decades of progress and open the door to indiscriminate killing for decades to come. We call on you to stay in the Mine Ban Convention (the Landmine Convention) and stand on the side of humanity”.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Antipersonnel landmines are banned by 165 countries—including all EU member states . These hidden killers cannot tell the difference between the footsteps of a soldier or a child. . They remain active for decades, buried in farmland, beneath roads, and around homes—killing long after the war is over.
Every year, more than 5000 people are killed or injured by landmines and unexploded war remnants. 85% are civilians. More than one-third are children. [1]
The Mine Ban Convention (the 1997 Landmine Convention) ban is one of the greatest humanitarian achievements of our time. Yet now, this legacy is under threat.
Poland, Finland, and Estonia are now discussing quitting the global landmine ban. Latvia and Lithuania have already voted to leave but could still reconsider their decision. If we stay silent, more may follow—and Europe could unravel 25 years of progress in protecting civilian life. More lives and limbs will be lost.
This June, world leaders meet in Geneva to discuss the future of the Mine Ban Convention. We still have time to stand up for the Convention and the lives and limbs at stake—if we act NOW.
EU countries must stand firm behind the landmine ban. If a handful are allowed to defect without consequences, the entire ban could start to crumble – not just in Europe but globally, endangering more innocent lives.
Add your name today – call on EU governments to say NO to landmines.