Ottawa Treaty Bans Landmines: 121 Nations Unite
Representatives from 121 nations signed the Ottawa Treaty on December 3, 1997, banning the production, stockpiling, and use of anti-personnel landmines. The treaty was the result of a six-year campaign led by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a coalition of NGOs that shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize with its coordinator, Jody Williams. Landmines were killing or maiming an estimated 26,000 people per year, most of them civilians in former conflict zones. The treaty required signatories to destroy existing stockpiles within four years and clear all mined areas within ten years. However, the world's largest producers and users, the United States, Russia, and China, refused to sign. Their absence meant millions of mines remained in active arsenals. Despite this gap, mine casualties have dropped by over 50% since the treaty's entry into force.
December 3, 1997
29 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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