HI Condemns Proposal to Withdraw from the Ottawa Convention by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia

According to this morning’s statement, the defense ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are recommending withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel mines.

By making this decision, these countries send a clear message: civilians are expendable. This is the signal that overwhelming civilian casualties can be justified and an invitation for others to follow suit, which is a blatant disregard for human suffering.

While we acknowledge that in the current unstable international context, security concerns of Eastern European states may be justified, decades of efforts against landmines and cluster munitions have shown that lasting security cannot be built on weapons that kill indiscriminately, remain in the ground long after conflicts end, and continue to maim civilians and destroy livelihoods.

Landmines and cluster munitions do not simply defend borders—they turn them into death traps. They do not protect populations; they endanger them for generations. It is worth mentioning that the U.S. has not signed the Ottawa Convention.

Any state that considers landmines or cluster munitions as part of its defense strategy is not protecting its people or the borders it claims to defend. It is condemning civilians—its own and others—to death, suffering, and decades of devastation.

HI unequivocally condemns this recommendation and demands that all States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty take urgent and resolute action to prevent a devastating erosion of civilian protection. It is not too late for Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to reverse course and defend their nations through means that do not endanger civilians for future generations.