Ireland

Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 17 December 2012

Ireland signed and ratified the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. Ireland has never used, produced, or exported antipersonnel mines. Legislation to enforce the antipersonnel mine prohibition domestically was enacted in 1996, with updated legislation passed in 2008. The legislation prohibits investment in the production of anti-personnel mines, as well as assistance with acts prohibited by the treaty. In 2012, Ireland submitted its 14th Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report.

Ireland has no operational stockpile of antipersonnel mines, but initially retained 129 antipersonnel mines for training purposes; this number was reduced to 62 by the end of 2011.[1] At the 2012 intersessional meetings, Ireland affirmed that it has complied with the Cartagena Action Plan by “regularly review[ing] the number of anti-personnel mines retained, to ensure that they constitute the minimum number absolutely necessary…”[2] Ireland stated that since it uses live antipersonnel mines in training, it will become necessary to acquire replacement mines for this purpose in the future.[3] 

Ireland attended the Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh in November–December 2011, and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in May 2012.

Ireland is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines and Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

 



[1] Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2011), Form D.

[2] Statement of Ireland, intersessional Standing Committee Meeting, Mine Ban Treaty, Geneva, 25 May 2012.

[3] Ibid.