2025（令和７）年12月15日
12月1日から5日に、スイス・ジュネーブで対人地雷禁止条約第22回締約国会議が開かれた。対人地雷禁止条約（正式名称：対人地雷の使用、貯蔵、生産及び移譲の禁止並びに廃棄に関する条約）は、紛争地域において埋設された対人地雷よって多くの一般市民が無差別に被害を受けている状況をうけて、1996年10月カナダのオタワの国際会議で条約を結ぶ交渉が開始され、1997年12月に条約署名、1999年3月に発効した。
対人地雷禁止条約は、いかなる場合においても、対人地雷の使用、開発、生産、取得、貯蔵、保有及び移譲並びにこれらの援助、奨励及び勧誘など、対人地雷に関するあらゆる行為を禁止し、すべての対人地雷を廃棄することを謳っている。さらに、地雷被害国でなくても、地雷の除去や地雷被害者に対する国際的な支援と協力を進めることを求めている。
この対人地雷禁止条約の成立には、NGOや一般市民が大きな役割を果たしたことでも知られる。地雷廃絶国際キャンペーン（ICBL：International Campaign to Ban Landmines）をはじめ、紛争地域で支援活動を行うNGOや多くの市民らが、対人地雷による被害とその非人道性を世界に訴えたことによって、この条約が実現した。
しかし、地雷廃絶国際キャンペーン（ICBL）が12月に発表した「Land Mine Monitor 2025」では、2024年に地雷や戦争の爆発物によって死亡または負傷者した人は6279人となり、対人地雷による犠牲者が2020年以来、最多となった。条約未加盟国のミャンマーでは、現在世界で最も多くの対人地雷による犠牲者（2029人）を出しており、ミャンマーに次いで犠牲者が多いシリアでは、アサド政権崩壊後、一般市民がそれぞれの土地に帰還する際の犠牲者が増加している。条約締約国であるアフガニスタンやウクライナにおいても、対人地雷による犠牲者が数多く報告されており、これらの世界の地雷犠牲者の90%は民間人で、ほぼ半数が子どもであった。この報告が示しているのは、罪のない一般市民や子どもたちが、対人地雷によって無差別に被害を受けているという事実である。
今回のジュネーブでの対人地雷禁止条約締約国会議は、2022年から続くロシアによるウクライナ侵攻を受けて、欧州5カ国（エストニア、ラトビア、リトアニア、フィンランド、ポーランド）が脱退を表明し、条約を離脱した。この背景には、米国、中国、ロシア、イスラエル、インド、パキスタンといった主要国が依然としてこの条約に加盟しておらず、加えてウクライナではロシアによる地雷の使用が続いていることが指摘される。条約からの離脱は、条約の弱体化をもたらすことが危惧され、さらなる被害の増大が懸念されるものである。さらに、地雷除去や被害者支援に対する国際援助は、減少の一途をたどっている。
WCRP日本委員会は、2025年3月14日に、ミャンマーにおける地雷被害急増に対する緊急声明を発表し、ミャンマーの深刻な地雷被害の急増に対し、強い懸念を表明するとともに、即時の対応を国際社会に強く要請した。対人地雷が銃や爆弾とは異なり、無差別に一般市民や子どもを殺傷し、四肢を損壊させ、その後の人生を大きく変えてしまう残忍かつ非人道的な兵器であることを訴え、条約非加盟国、および近隣諸国との緊張関係を理由に加盟を見送っている国々に対し、この条約への加盟を強く求めた。
対人地雷禁止条約締約国会議を終えた今、WCRP日本委員会は改めて、現在の対人地雷をめぐる状況に対する深い憂慮を示し、世界各国並びに広く国際世論に対し、私たちの要望を強く訴える。
私たち宗教者は、世界90ヵ国に広がるReligions for Peace国際ネットワークを駆使してこの対人地雷の問題を継続的に注視し、国連諸機関、NGO団体、諸宗教者との協力と連携を通じて、祈りと行動を重ね、国際世論の喚起に努めていく。
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December 15, 2025
The Twenty-Second Meeting of the States Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from December 1 to 5. “The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction was initiated at an international conference in Ottawa, Canada, in October 1996, in response to the situation where many civilians were indiscriminately harmed by anti-personnel mines buried in conflict zones. Negotiations for the treaty began, which was signed in December 1997, and entered into force in March 1999.
The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty prohibits all actions related to anti-personnel mines under any circumstances, including their use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, possession, and transfer, as well as any assistance, encouragement, or inducement to these acts. It further mandates the destruction of all anti-personnel mines. Additionally, it calls for the advancement of international support and cooperation for mine clearance and assistance to mine victims, even for countries not affected by landmines.
The establishment of this treaty is also known for the significant role played by NGOs and ordinary citizens. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), along with NGOs conducting support activities in conflict zones and many citizens, brought the harm caused by anti-personnel landmines and their inhumanity to the world’s attention, leading to the treaty’s adoption.
However, the “Land Mine Monitor 2025” report released by the ICBL in December reported that 6,279 people were killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war in 2024, marking the highest number of casualties from anti-personnel mines since 2020. Myanmar, a non-signatory to the treaty, currently has the world’s highest number of anti-personnel landmine casualties (2,029). In Syria, which has the second-highest number of casualties after Myanmar, the number of victims has increased as civilians return to their lands following the collapse of the Assad regime. Numerous casualties from anti-personnel mines have also been reported in Afghanistan and Ukraine, both Treaty signatories. Ninety percent of these global mine victims were civilians, nearly half of whom were children. This report highlights the fact that innocent civilians and children are indiscriminately harmed by anti-personnel mines.
At this Conference of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva, five European countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Poland) announced their withdrawal from the treaty, leaving it following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022. This move comes against the backdrop of the fact that major countries like the United States, China, Russia, Israel, India, and Pakistan are not still parties to the treaty, coupled with the ongoing use of mines by Russia in Ukraine. The withdrawals from the treaty raise concerns about its weakening and the potential for further increases in casualties. Furthermore, international aid for mine clearance and victim assistance continues to decline.
On March 14, 2025, the WCRP Japan Committee issued an emergency statement regarding the rapid increase in landmine casualties in Myanmar. It expressed grave concern over the severe surge in landmine casualties in Myanmar and strongly urged the international community to take immediate action. It emphasized that anti-personnel landmines, unlike guns or bombs, indiscriminately kill and maim civilians and children, causing limb loss and drastically altering their lives, and are therefore cruel and inhumane weapons. It strongly urged non-signatory states, as well as countries delaying accession due to tensions with neighboring nations, to join the treaty.
Now, following the Conference of the States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, the WCRP Japan Committee once again expresses deep concern over the current situation regarding anti-personnel landmines and strongly appeals to nations worldwide and the broader international community with our appeals.
・From a religious perspective, anti-personnel landmines, as “indiscriminate weapons” that sacrifice innocent civilians, cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.
・Prioritize the protection of the dignity of all life and humanity as the foremost value, immediately cease the development, production, stockpiling, and use of anti-personnel landmines, and destroy all existing anti-personnel landmines.
・Strongly urge countries that have not acceded to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or that have withdrawn from it, to accede to the Convention, and continue efforts toward universalization of the Convention by all nations.
・Provide ongoing support to victims of anti-personnel landmines and maintain international assistance for mine clearance operations.
We, as religious leaders, will continuously monitor the issue of anti-personnel landmines through the global network of Religions for Peace spanning 90 countries. Through cooperation and collaboration with UN agencies, NGOs, and religious leaders worldwide, we will persist in prayer and action, striving to raise international awareness.
