International Campaign To Ban Landmines - Landmine Monitoring Reports of The Campaign

Landmine Monitoring Reports of The Campaign

The Landmine Monitor Report, which was renamed in 2010 the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor is a report produced by the campaign in which deals with land mine affected areas and actions taken in affected countries. As of August 2009, the Landmine Monitor identified at least 70 countries that were considered to be mine-affected. As of 2005, more than 200,000 square kilometers were suspected to be contaminated by landmines and UXO. However, by 2008 Landmine Monitor had lowered that estimate to 3,000 square kilometers.

From 1999-2008, Landmine Monitor recorded at least 73,576 casualties of landmines, explosive remnants of war, and Improvised Explosive Devices. These casualties were spread over 119 countries and areas. While tragically high, the number of casualties in the past decade is incomplete because it includes only recorded casualties. There was certainly under-reporting throughout the decade due to the lack of adequate data collection mechanisms worldwide, a lack of retrospective data collection, and under-reporting of certain groups of casualties, such as foreign nationals, refugees or internally displaced persons, non-state armed groups (NSAG), or ethnic minorities. Mine/ERW casualties during conflicts are also under-reported.

In 1999, the year of the entry into force of the Ottawa Treaty, Landmine Monitor recorded the probable use of antipersonnel landmines by 15 states. By 2009, the only states known to have continued using antipersonnel landmines were Burma and Russia.

As of 2008, Landmine Monitor reported that as many as 35 states not party still stockpiled an estimated 160 million mines. The vast majority of these stockpiles belong to China (about 110 million), Russia (about 24.5 million) and the United States (10.4 million).

Since 1999, the use of antipersonnel mines and mine-like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) have been reported in at least 28 countries. 19 of these countries were States Parties, while 9 countries were States not party. In 2008, NSAG use of landmines and IEDs was confirmed in seven countries, three of which are States Parties. However, while landmine use continues to decrease, the use of IEDs has increased significantly, especially in Afghanistan and Colombia.