The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) considers the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and On Their Destruction (“Mine Ban Treaty”)^[1] the only viable comprehensive framework for achieving a mine-free world. The ICBL believes that the only real measure of the Mine Ban Treaty’s success will be the concrete impact that it has on the global antipersonnel mine problem. As with the three previous annual reports, Landmine Monitor Report 2002 provides a means of measuring that impact. The five-year anniversary this year of the negotiation of the Mine Ban Treaty in Oslo and its signing in Ottawa also give added impetus and meaning to an assessment of progress made and challenges remaining. 

It is abundantly clear that the treaty, and the ban movement more generally, are making a significant difference in eradicating the weapon and saving lives and limbs of civilians in every region of the world. A growing number of governments are joining the Mine Ban Treaty, and as detailed below, there is decreased use of antipersonnel mines, a dramatic drop in production, an almost complete halt to trade, rapid destruction of stockpiled mines, fewer new mine victims in key affected countries, and more land demined. These positive trends have continued in this most recent Landmine Monitor reporting period.^[2]

But the challenges that remain are daunting. It is increasingly evident that at current levels of mine action funding and demining, many mine-affected States Parties will not meet the ten-year deadline for completion of mine clearance. Antipersonnel mines continue to be laid by governments and rebel groups, and in this reporting period India and Pakistan embarked on what appears to be the largest mine-laying operations in many years. While headed in the right direction, the world is nowhere close to the objective of Zero New Mine Victims. The mine problem is far from solved, and will not be solved without sustained and increased commitment from governments and non-governmental organizations. 

[1]The ICBL generally uses the short title, Mine Ban Treaty, although other short titles are common as well, including Ottawa Treaty, Ottawa Convention and Mine Ban Convention.
[2] The reporting period for Landmine Monitor Report 2002 is May 2001 to May 2002. Editors have where possible added important information that arrived in June and July 2002.