The Finnish government has announced its decision to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of Antipersonnel Minesalso known as Ottawa’s treaty, in order to Protect your Eastern border with Russiathe most extensive of an NATO country. It is not an isolated event, but even affects countries democratic, westernthat evidences that the fear and ultra -protection of human rights that until now were trying to protect.
The Nordic Nation joins other countries in the region in its decision to abandon this treaty, including Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, They made a similar announcement on March 18.
Finland Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, also advanced that defense spending will increase until 3 % of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2029 to finance the purchase of this type of mines and that a reform of the Army of the Nordic country will be launched.
“I would like to take this opportunity to underline that the Finns They don’t have to worry. Finland is a safe country. With these measures, we want to make sure that Finland’s defense is also in good shape in the coming years, “Orpo said at a press conference with several ministers.
Defense head, Antti Häkkänen, said the reintroduction of antipersonnel mines It will allow to increase the defense capacity of Finland, since they are a very effective defensive weapon in case of an invasion by land.
Finland, was one of the last countries of Western Europe in ratify Since the time of the Soviet Union.
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Finland’s decision, as before Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Weakens the Ottawa treatywhich entered into force on March 1, 1999, has made it possible, according to its website, the destruction of more than 40 million mines. Before the entry into force of the treaty there were a hundred companies from 55 countries that manufactured between 5 and 10 million mines per year, but the number of producing countries was reduced to 15.
Due to the presence of mines, for example, 80% of the cultivable terrain in Afghanistan cannot be used, 60% of Angola is considered dangerous, and in southern Sudan agriculture is paralyzed.
On the other hand, the UN and several humanitarian organizations carry out demining programs in various areas of the world, which allow Eliminate about 100,000 mines every year.
Since 1999, 164 countries have signed the Treaty to prohibit antipersonnel mines, of which 157 have confirmed that they no longer have stored devices. Finland was one of the last countries of Western Europe to ratify the convention in 2012, a decision that forced him to Remove the thousands of disseminated antipersonnel mines along the border with Russia since the time of the extinct Soviet Union.
Among governments Non -signings are China, India, Russia, Israel, Morocco, Cuba, Singapore or the United States.
September 23, 2014, Washington promised not to use This type of armament already destroy all its arsenal, although the decision was canceled in 2020 in the first mandate of. In July 2022, United States, then under the Biden administration, He resigned to use, produce and buy antipersone mines, thus fulfilling to the convention, although without signing the treaty and with an exception, the Korean Peninsula, where it kept open the possibility of using them.
In November 2024, .
The latest report of the Antipersonne Mines also of November of that year reflects that the mines and explosive remains of war They killed or wounded at least 5,757 people in 2023, of them 84% civil, in about 50 countries. The investigation also reports that the number of victims as a result of antipersonnel mines increased that year.
Only antipersone mines 833 victims were charged, compared to 628 from the previous year.
Burma was the country with more victims of land and ammunition mines without exploding, with more than 1,000 people dead or injured, ahead of Syria (933), which led the classification for three years, followed by Afghanistan (651), Ukraine (580) and Yemen (499).
Just some 800 experts In demining from all over the world and the UN, they meet this week in Geneva for the annual meeting in the field, in a Climate of special pessimism Given the arrest of cleaning operations of this armament funded by the US in dozens of countries and for the possibility that European countries neighboring Russia abandon the main antiminas treaty.
On the 28th International Meeting, from April 9 to 11 and organized by the UN Action Service (UNMA) and the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Dismination (Gichd), also arrives at a time of growing use of these weapons in world conflicts, from Ukraine to Yemen or Burma (Myanmar).
