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Poland’s Parliament Approves Exit from Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines Ban
On June 26, Poland’s parliament, the Sejm, approved legislation to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, as was reported by RMF 24.
In the roll call, “For” received 413 votes, “Against” 15, and three abstentions.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the decision as “crucial for the security of Poland and the entire region,” adding that Warsaw “could not remain bound by any corset preventing the defense of our homeland”.
The Ottawa Convention was adopted on December 3, 1997, and entered into force on March 1, 1999, mandating signatories to cease production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personnel mines and to destroy existing stockpiles; Poland signed the treaty on December 4, 1997, and ratified it in 2012.
The legislation, introduced at Poland’s request and supported by its Baltic and Finnish partners, underscores a coordinated regional effort to bolster ground-denial capabilities in response to evolving security threats along NATO’s eastern flank, as RMF 24 expert says.
Earlier, it was announced that other NATO members — Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — notified the United Nations of their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention and plan to strengthen deterrence along their borders with Russia and Belarus.
