Today is the Human Rights Day.

The presence and legacy of landmines is a human rights issue.
Today, in many places in the world landmines still claim the lives of innocent people.

It has been a long time since we, humanitarians around the globe – have been intensively supporting demining action, mine awareness, and risk education.
It is difficult to imagine a greater violation of human rights than that caused by anti-personnel landmines.

These weapons violate people’s fundamental rights to life, liberty, and security.

A mine-free world is a long-term goal for many humanitarians around the globe. It became my dream, humanitarian purpose, and life journey.

Anti-personnel mines and other explosive ordnance have critical and long-lasting negative implications for a wide range of human rights, including the rights to life, physical security, physical and mental health, food, safe drinking water, employment, and education.

Despite the great efforts of many Demining organizations and many brave reminders and humanitarians, landmines continue to maim and kill even after conflicts end – and it is mainly civilians who suffer the horrific consequences.

Anti-personnel landmines are prohibited under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction (or Mine Ban Convention), adopted in 1997.

New casualties show the need to support the Treaty Ban.

Landmine Monitor 2024 is being released in advance of the Mine Ban Treaty’s historic Fifth Review Conference, which opens in Siem Reap, Cambodia on November 25.

Civilians made up 84 percent of all recorded casualties in 2023, while children were 37 percent of casualties when the age was recorded.

For several years now, we have also been observing with pain the deepening conflicts in the world.
This high number for the ninth-year running is mainly due to the increase in armed conflicts and the growing use of improvised landmines since 2015.

Support demining action. Raise awareness about landmines.
Finally – say „no” to the concept of landmines.
It makes a difference.

Angelika Jarosławska Sapieha