Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) still kill or maim thousands of people around the world each year. When the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Treaty) entered into force 20 years ago, the number of victims initially declined. Today, the situation is different. Conflicts are increasingly being fought by non-state actors that use IEDs. In recent years, there has again been a sharp rise in the number of people killed or maimed by these weapons.
IEDs and mines target the civilian population in particular. They pose a threat to life and limb, prevent the safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees, prevent post-conflict reconstruction and impede humanitarian access and stabilisation measures.
Germany is engaged around the world when it comes to the prohibition of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions and supports the clearance of mines and munitions – from Afghanistan to Ukraine to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Source: Federal Foreign Office