Japan

Mine Ban Policy

Last updated: 28 October 2011

Japan signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997 and ratified it on 30 September 1998, becoming a State Party on 1 March 1999. Japan is a former antipersonnel mine producer and importer. It ceased antipersonnel mine production in 1997 and production facilities were decommissioned by 31 March 1999. Legislation to enforce the antipersonnel mine prohibition domestically entered into force on 1 March 1999. On 27 April 2011, Japan submitted its 12th Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report.

Japan completed destruction of its stockpile of 985,089 antipersonnel mines on 8 February 2003. Japan initially retained 15,000 antipersonnel mines for training and development purposes; by the end of 2010 this number had been reduced to 2,673.[1]

Japan attended the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in November–December 2011, and the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva in June 2011. Japan served as co-rapporteur and then co-chair of the Standing Committees on Victim Assistance (1999–2001), Mine Clearance (2002–2004), Stockpile Destruction (2004–2006), and the General Status and Operation of the Convention (2007–2009).

Japan is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and its Amended Protocol II on landmines but not Protocol V on explosive remnants of war.

 



[1]Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report, Form D, 27 April 2011.