BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 2. Armenia, one of 12 states that are not parties to the Ottawa Convention, is included in the list of countries that develop, produce, or acquire anti-personnel mines, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines Public Association, Hafiz Safikhanov, said, Trend reports.
He made remark at a press conference dedicated to the 22nd Conference of the Mine Ban Convention, organized in Geneva by the non-governmental organization Azerbaijan Campaign Against Landmines, and the presentation of the Landmine Monitor Report 2025 to the public.
The UN Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, Transfer and Destruction of Anti-Personnel Mines (Ottawa Convention) entered into force on March 1, 1999. To date, 166 states are parties to the Convention, meaning that 85% of the world's countries support the ban on mines. However, 31 countries, including those in the South Caucasus, have not yet acceded to the Convention.
The Landmine Monitor 2025 report states that over the reporting period, 6,279 deaths from mines and explosive remnants of war were recorded in 52 countries (36 of which are States Parties). Of these, 1,945 people were killed, 4,325 were injured, and the status of 9 people is unknown. This is the highest annual figure since 2020, indicating a sharp increase in the number of victims. During the reporting period, 90% of victims worldwide were civilians (5,385 people), and 46% of them (1,701 people) were children.
According to the report, 57 countries are contaminated with anti-personnel mines. Member States reported that in 2024, a total of 1,114.82 km² of contaminated land was cleared, destroying at least 105,640 anti-personnel mines. A total of 32 Member States have completed the clearance of all anti-personnel mines from their territory.
Global funding for mine action in 2024 amounted to $1.07 billion, a 4% increase from $1.03 billion in 2023. This increase is due to an increase in national funding for mine action programs. However, it should be noted that international funding for mine action programs decreased by 5% compared to the previous year," the Chairperson added.