Poland Announces Plans to Begin Production of Landmines

Two hours ago, Poland declared its intention to commence the production of anti-personnel mines. This statement was made by Tamar Gabelnick, the head of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), as reported by RIA Novosti.

On March 18, the defense ministers of Poland and the Baltic States announced their desire to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the anti-personnel mines, and recommended that their national leaders take corresponding action.

"During our discussions with these countries, we were assured that they do not plan to use anti-personnel mines but wish to retain the right and ability to do so if necessary. Poland has announced its intention to begin producing anti-personnel mines, but there will be considerable time between this announcement and the actual commencement of production," she stated during a briefing for the Association of Accredited Journalists at the United Nations in Geneva (ACANU).

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a global coalition of non-governmental organizations based in Geneva, established in 1992 to combat the use of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions. The core objectives of the ICBL include advocating for a complete ban on the production, use, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, as well as providing assistance to mine victims and rehabilitating contaminated territories. Thanks to the efforts of the ICBL, the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits anti-personnel mines, was adopted in 1997, and the ICBL received the Nobel Peace Prize the same year.

The Ottawa Convention prohibits the use, accumulation, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and mandates their destruction. It was signed on December 3, 1997, in Ottawa, Canada, and came into effect on March 1, 1999. A total of 163 countries have joined the Convention.