Holy See ‘deeply concerned’ as nations withdraw from anti-landmine treaty
June 30, 2025
A Vatican diplomat expressed deep concern at the withdrawal of several nations from the 1997 Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty.
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Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have announced their withdrawal from the treaty, as has Ukraine. Russia, which borders all six nations, has not acceded to the treaty—nor has the United States, China, India, or Pakistan.
“Achieving total universalization of the Convention also carries direct implications and far-reaching consequences, particularly in relation to the provision of assistance to victims and the prevention of further casualties, which are among the main reasons why this Convention came into existence,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said in a recent statement at an international meeting devoted to the treaty.
“For these reasons, the Holy See is deeply concerned about the intention of certain States Parties to withdraw from the Convention,” he continued “Moreover, it calls upon all States that are not yet party to this noble legal instrument to adhere to it urgently and implement it promptly, in both letter and spirit.”
The prelate concluded:
in the midst of intensifying tensions, it is imperative to return to reason and dialogue, while using all tools of diplomacy to prevent any escalation and destabilization. As Pope Leo XIV urges “we must never get used to war!”
The Holy See therefore reiterates its appeal to promote a culture of peace and life, and to preserve the integrity of the Convention, remaining fully confident that the sanctity of human life as well as the inherent and inviolable God-given dignity of the human person will continue to inspire its implementation.
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church describes landmines as “a type of small arm that is inhumanly insidious because it continues to cause harm even long after the cessation of hostilities” (n. 510).
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