UN Experts Warn 30 Years of Landmine Progress at Risk as Conflicts Surge

A panel of mine action leaders and a Nobel Peace laureate gathered at the UN General Assembly to deliver a blunt warning: rising interstate conflicts, treaty withdrawals, and massive unexploded ordnance contamination in Gaza are reversing decades of progress clearing the world's deadliest weapons. With 2025 marking the 30th anniversary of both the Mine Ban Treaty and the UN Mine Action Service, the panelists argued the moment demands a new wave of public mobilization — this time extending to autonomous weapons they say pose an existential threat.

• UNMAS director warns interstate conflicts now exceed World War II levels as countries abandon the Mine Ban Treaty
• Gaza reconstruction impossible until tons of unexploded ordnance are cleared, with 67% of the population facing acute food insecurity
• Nobel Laureate Jody Williams calls for million-person march in Central Park against autonomous "killer robot" weapons
• Children in conflict zones need new prostheses every year as they grow, highlighting the long tail of explosive ordnance casualties
• AI and drone tools could accelerate mine clearance analysis, but autonomous weapons development continues unchecked

Why it matters: The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, forged in the 1990s after a global grassroots campaign, is widely considered one of the most successful arms-control agreements in history. But on the eve of its 30th anniversary, the framework that cleared minefields across dozens of countries is fraying.