We powerfully urge the termination of the Ottawa Convention – the defence ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia wrote in a joint statement. Politicians explain that their decision is due to an unstable safety situation and Russia's aggression. The Convention prohibits, among another things, the usage and production of anti-personnel mines.
The message published on the Ministry of Defence's website highlighted that since Poland's ratification of the Ottawa Convention, i.e. since 2012, "military threats to NATO countries bordering Russia and Belarus have increased significantly". Therefore, "it is crucial to identify all measures that can service to strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities." This leads to withdrawal from the global agreement concerning the prohibition of the production, usage and retention of anti-personnel mines.
"We – Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – unanimously urge the termination of the Ottawa Convention. Our decision is simply a clear message: our countries are ready and can usage any essential means to defend our territory and freedom," we read in a message from the MON.
Withdrawal from the Convention, as the Ministry of Defence emphasises, does not exempt from global humanitarian law, including civilian protection during armed conflicts. "Our countries will proceed to respect these principles, while protecting our security. We appreciate the knowing and support of all our allies and partners, who recognise the seriousness of the safety risks that we gotta face and respect our decisions in this area," concluded MON.
With Polish signature
The Ottawa Treaty is simply a convention on the prohibition of the use, storage, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction. She was enacted in Oslo on 18 September 1997. The agreement was formed on the wave of the 1992 global run for the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Min, which just led to a diplomatic conference in Oslo 5 years later.
The Treaty entered into force on 1 March 1999, and at that time there were 40 signatures of national delegates. presently 164 countries are participating – the Treaty has ratified 133 and others have acceded to it. China, Russia, the USA, Israel, North and South Korea are not included.
Poland signed in December 1997, but ratification of the Ottawa Convention did not take place until December 2012. Poland formally became a organization to the Treaty on 1 June 2013.
What does the Ottawa Convention require?
The global agreement assumes that States Parties to the Convention ‘never under any circumstances’ will not usage anti-personnel mines, conduct research, manufacture, purchase, store or store anti-personnel mines, and transmit specified weapons straight or indirectly to anyone. Nor will they help, encourage or encourage any activity prohibited by the Convention. In addition, the Contract Signatories undertake to destruct or guarantee the demolition of all their anti-personnel mines.
The exception is simply a ‘certain number’ of anti-personnel mines, stored or transmitted for improvement purposes and training in mine detection, mine demining or mine demolition technology.
Construction of the “Hard East”
Denunciation of the Ottawa Convention was an expected movement dictated by strengthening Polish borders within the framework of the “Hard East” programme. This is simply a key investment planned for 2024–2028 to strengthen Poland's resilience to attacks and Hybrid War. The task envisages the construction of fortifications and natural terrain obstacles on a section of about 700 km along the east and northern border of Poland.
“The Tarcza East and the defence of the east border of the European Union have become a precedence which is no longer questioned by anyone,” said Prime Minister Donad Tusk at the summit of EU leaders in Paris, 6 March. A day later, in the Sejm, the head of the government announced: "I asked the Minister of National Defence to present an opinion, I will urge a affirmative opinion so that Poland withdraws from the Ottawa Convention and possibly from the Dublin Convention. I'm talking about anti-personnel mines and cluster guns. [...] We will not look at anyone, we will not fear anyone’s criticism. Everything that will advance the increase of Poland's defence will be realized and utilized by us.
The “Tarcza East” is designed to deter possible aggressors, defend soldiers and civilians and show readiness to defend Polish borders together with allied forces. The task is to be PLN 10 billion (part of the funds is to come from NATO and the EU).
