Ottawa Treaty - Criticism

Criticism

Ratification has not been universal, and most landmine production occurs in countries that do not currently intend to ratify the treaty. So far 34 countries have not signed the treaty; nonsignatories include Russia, United States, China, Somalia, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Egypt, India, Israel and Iraq. Furthermore, organized state actors are capable of mapping and marking of minefields and demining after the conflict has ended, which reduces the hazards to civilians. In contrast, indiscriminate dispersal is typically done by parties that already flout the laws of war, as in using mines as a weapon for state terrorism in a protracted civil war, where international treaties have little effect.

Opponents of banning landmines make several points, among them that mines are a cheap and therefore cost-effective area denial weapon. When used correctly, it is a defensive weapon that harms only an attacker, unlike ranged weapons such as ballistic missiles that are most effective if used for preemptive attacks. In addition, the psychological effect of mines increases the threshold to attack and thus reduces the risk of war.

The Ottawa treaty does not cover all types of unexploded ordnance. Cluster bombs, for example, introduce the same problem as mines: unexploded bomblets can remain a hazard for civilians long after a conflict has ended. A separate Convention on Cluster Munitions was drafted in 2008 and came into effect in 2010. However, its adoption has not been as widespread as the Ottawa Treaty. Paradoxically, the Ottawa Treaty then leads to increased adoption of cluster munitions, which can be more dangerous to civilians. In theory, mines could be replaced by manually triggered Claymore mines, but this requires the posting of a sentry and makes this much more expensive than using other indiscriminate weapons such as cluster bombs or artillery bombardment.

Little progress in actual reduction of mine usage has been achieved. In 2011, the number of landmines dispersed is higher than ever since 2004, landmines being dispersed in Libya, Syria, Israel and Burma.