ICBL Statement on Finland’s Withdrawal from the Mine Ban Treaty

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) alongside its member, the Finnish Campaign to Ban Landmines, is deeply disturbed and saddened by Finland’s formal withdrawal from the Mine Ban Treaty, which took effect on 10 January 2026. Finland has chosen to walk away from a global norm that for over two decades has protected civilians from loss of lives and limbs, both during and after conflicts.

This move follows the withdrawal of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which became effective on 27 December 2025, and comes as Poland remains on a similar path, with its withdrawal set to take effect on 20 February 2026. Each of these departures represents not only a legal act but a political and moral retreat from a collective commitment to ban vile and indiscriminate weapons.

“In its official communication, the Finnish government claimed that it would remain committed to the humanitarian objectives of the Treaty, but its actions speak otherwise. It is misleading to claim that you will continue to fulfill your obligations under international humanitarian law when you’re about to reintroduce a weapon designed to maim and kill indiscriminately,” said Tamar Gabelnick, ICBL Director. 

Despite these withdrawals, the Mine Ban Treaty remains one of the most successful and widely supported disarmament conventions in history, with more than 80% of the world’s countries on board. The Landmine Monitor 2025, released in December 2025, reported a sharp rise in casualties, with 6,279 people killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024, the highest annual total since 2020. The human suffering reflected in these numbers reinforces why the ban remains as urgent and relevant as ever.

The ICBL calls on Finland not to follow up on previously stated plans to use or produce anti-personnel mines and to rejoin the Treaty without delay as the main people who would suffer from any such use would be Finnish civilians. We also urge all remaining States Parties to speak out clearly against these withdrawals, defend the Treaty’s integrity, and ensure that humanitarian disarmament is not undermined under the false pretense of national security.