How does a country join the Mine Ban Treaty, and what must it do to comply with it?

The Mine Ban Treaty opened for signature on 3 December 1997 and entered into force (i.e. became law) on 1 March 1999, six months after the 40th country ratified it.

Before the treaty entered into force, states joined the Mine Ban Treaty by carrying out two steps: signing and ratifying the treaty. Since the treaty entered into force, states have been able to join the treaty by carrying out a one-step process called accession. A country that has ratified or acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty is called a State Party and is legally bound to comply with the treaty.