Mine Ban Treaty

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, commonly referred to as the Mine Ban Treaty, was adopted on 18 September 1997 and entered into force on 1 March 1999.

The Mine Ban Treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines. It is the most comprehensive international instrument for eradicating landmines and deals with everything from mine use, production and trade, to victim assistance, mine clearance and stockpile destruction.

There are 164 States Parties to the treaty and the treaty is still open for ratification by one signatory and for accession by those that did not sign before March 1999. States not party to the Mine Ban Treaty include: China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.

States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty are obligated to:

  • destroy their stockpile of antipersonnel mines within four years of entry into force (Article 4);
  • identify and clear mined areas under their jurisdiction or control as soon as possible, but not later than 10 years after becoming a State Party (Article 5);
  • provide assistance to mine victims and support for mine risk education (Article 6); and
  • submit annual reports on Mine Ban Treaty implementation activities (Article 7).

To find out which states have joined the treaty click here.

For a more detailed assessment of each state's compliance or non-compliance with the treaty, please see out country profiles.

(Last updated September 2019)