State of Play: The Landmine Free 2025 Commitment

Two decades ago, Diana Princess of Wales walked in Angola’s minefields. In doing so, she captured the conscience of states, civil society and the public and helped inspire the final successful push to achieve the groundbreaking 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning landmines. States, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and campaigners came together in a way that changed the world.

Two decades later, we celebrate massive progress, including against the 2025 deadline for completion of clearance, agreed to in 2014. Since the Treaty was signed, over 51 million stockpiled anti-personnel landmines have been destroyed, 29 states have been declared free from a weapon that does not rest until it kills, maims and breaks the human spirit, and hundreds of thousands of survivors have been assisted and empowered.

Despite the successes, there is significant work still to do. The latest report by the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor shows casualties have more than doubled in the last two years. A 133% rise since 2014 saw injuries and deaths hit their highest level since 1999. Shockingly, 42% of those killed or injured were children. Many had not known conflict, only its deadly legacy.