The Response to the Humanitarian Crisis Created by Landmines

Anti-personnel mines are considered to be one of the most significant humanitarian problems of our time, affecting more than seventy countries. They often have a terrible effect on civilian populations long after the cessation of hostilities. The 1997 Mine Ban Convention provides an anchor for a long-term solution to the crisis created by landmines. Nations that ratified the Mine Ban Convention had to balance the military utility of those mines against humanitarian needs. While ethical norms played an important role in defining policies, they were only one of several components that led to the ban of anti-personnel landmines.