Geneva, June 2025 — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued a joint statement at the intersessional meeting of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.
Organizations welcomed the ratification of the Convention by the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which became the 165th State Party. The document will enter into force for the country on September 1, 2025.
In the meantime, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia announced plans to withdraw from the Convention, citing increased military threats. This has raised concerns among humanitarian organizations.
The ICRC and IFRC emphasized that abandoning international commitments in a crisis undermines international humanitarian law and puts civilians at risk.
Organizations urged all states to maintain their commitment to the Convention, continue demining efforts, and support mine victims to prevent a return to the use of this inhumane weapon.