UN Secretary-General "Some Countries Resume Use of Anti-Personnel Mines... Must Adhere to Convention"

United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres expressed deep concern over reports of some countries resuming the use of anti-personnel mines.

According to AFP, Secretary-General Guterres stated in a speech sent to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention implementation review meeting held in Cambodia on the 25th (local time) that "the threat still remains."

Ant?nio Guterres, UN Secretary-General. Photo by Yonhap News

The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention is an international treaty (Ottawa Convention) adopted in 1997 by the international community to prohibit anti-personnel mines and to remove buried mines. A total of 164 countries, including Ukraine, have joined, while the United States, South and North Korea, and Russia are non-signatories.

Secretary-General Guterres pointed out that some State Parties to the convention have resumed the use of anti-personnel mines, and some parties have delayed fulfilling their commitments to remove such weapons. He urged the 164 countries that ratified the convention to fully comply with its provisions.

The UN Secretary-General's remarks came after U.S. President Joe Biden decided to provide anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, which is at war with Russia.