When Treaties Work: The Mine Ban Treaty

Credit: International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition

The Mine Ban Treaty is one of the most successful humanitarian disarmament agreements in modern history. Also known as the Ottawa Treaty, it emerged in the 1990s in response to the devastating impact of landmines on civilians worldwide. At the time, millions of these hidden explosives were scattered across conflict zones, continuing to kill and maim long after wars had ended. A coalition of activists, survivors, and diplomats led a groundbreaking campaign to ban these weapons, culminating in a treaty that transformed global approaches to disarmament and humanitarian action.

But how did this treaty come to life? What made it so effective? And what challenges does it face today?

I speak with Tamar Gabelnick, Director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition, who tells the story of the treaty’s journey from grassroots activism to high-level diplomacy, explaining how the ban became…