Estonia notifies UN of withdrawal from Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty
Photo: Margus Tsakhkna (Getty Images)
Estonia has submitted a letter to the United Nations in New York to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and requires their destruction, according to Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhkna.
It is noted that the law on withdrawal from the Convention will enter into force in six months.
"Lessons from Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine show that in order to better defend our country, we must not impose unilateral restrictions on armaments that the adversary does not observe," Tsakhkna noted.
The Foreign Minister also emphasized that Estonia remains committed to ensuring full compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians after the withdrawal from the Treaty. Estonia will also continue to support humanitarian demining projects and assistance to victims of armed conflicts.
"By leaving the Ottawa Convention, the Estonian Defence Forces will have greater flexibility in choosing the weapons systems, tools and solutions necessary to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities," Tsakhkna added.
What is known about the Ottawa Convention
The Convention was adopted on September 18, 1997, in Oslo and entered into force in 1999. To date, more than 160 countries have joined the treaty, including most Western nations. Countries that have not joined include China, Russia, the United States, India, and Pakistan.
Ukraine signed the Convention in February 1999 in New York, and the Verkhovna Rada ratified it on May 18, 2005. At the time of signing, Ukraine possessed the fifth-largest stockpile of anti-personnel mines in the world, behind only China, Russia, the US, and Pakistan — countries that, like India, have not joined the agreement.
Signatories to the Convention commit to never using anti-personnel mines and also pledge not to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, or transfer them, either directly or indirectly through intermediaries.
