Finland and the Ottawa Convention

The security environment in Finland and Europe has changed fundamentally. Russia poses a long-term threat to Europe. The Government’s decision is based on assessments made by the Defence Forces as well as the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The Defence Forces prepared an analysis that comprehensively examines the Defence Forces’ need to supplement its capabilities with selected conventional weapons systems following the changes in the security environment.

The analysis takes into account the lessons learned from the way Russia has operated in the war in Ukraine, the character of war, domestic production capacity, international procurement potential and the obligations set by international humanitarian law on defence, as well as the obligations of arms control agreements. In addition to the military analysis drawn up by the Defence Forces, the Ministry of Defence has prepared a defence policy analysis on this topic.

Monitoring changes of this kind in the operating environment and assessing their impact on Finland is part of the Defence Forces’ continuous work, and it is information that is not open to the public. The Defence Forces’ analysis is non-disclosable under section 24, subsection 1, paragraph 10 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

The character of war is changing, but traditional principles still apply. It was previously thought that technological development would reduce the importance of infantry. However, the important, traditional role of Russia’s infantry in safeguarding and conquering territory has remained unchanged. In this regard, landmines are a simple and cost-effective weapon that makes it possible to supplement the capability of the Defence Forces. Landmines serve a number of purposes, and their capability cannot be fully replaced by other systems.

The Defence administration will not begin preparations for the reintroduction of landmines before withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention has entered into force, if a decision is made to withdraw from it as a consequence of the preparations that are now being initiated. The Defence Forces will not lay landmines in normal conditions; all mines are stockpiled.

It is safe to move in the terrain in eastern Finland without fear of landmines. The use of landmines requires careful planning, laying and documentation. Hazardous areas must be marked and supervised, and mined areas must be carefully demined. If Finland ever has to resort to using anti-personnel mines, the Defence Forces would use them responsibly and would prevent harm to civilians and its own troops.

The security environment in Finland and Europe has changed fundamentally. Russia poses a long-term threat to Europe. Finland is not facing any immediate military threat, but the changes in the security environment require the Government to take action to strengthen defence.

Withdrawing from a treaty is a long, multi-stage process. The formal steps to initiate a withdrawal process are preceded by weeks, possibly months, of preparation.

Withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention requires a government proposal. It will be prepared under the leadership of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Once the proposal has been circulated for comments, it is adopted by a government plenary session and submitted to Parliament.  After committee readings in Parliament, a plenary session adopts Parliament’s position on the matter by a simple majority vote. This is followed by the formulation of a parliamentary reply to the government proposal. Based on a draft government decision, the President of the Republic decides on Finland’s withdrawal from the convention.

Once Finland has decided on the matter, Finland will submit its instrument of withdrawal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who serves as the Depository of the convention. The instrument of withdrawal gives a full explanation of the reasons motivating the withdrawal to all other States Parties, to the Depositary and to the United Nations Security Council.

The withdrawal will take effect six months after the Secretary-General of the United Nations has received Finland’s instrument of withdrawal.

This is Finland’s national decision, and it has no links to other countries’ decisions. Finland has been assessing this issue extensively and thoroughly for months. The matter has been examined from the perspectives of both defence policy and foreign and security policy.  At the same time, the changes in the European security environment affect all of the countries that have announced their decisions.

Finland has informed its key international partners and key States Parties. Before starting the formal withdrawal process, Finland will inform its partners bilaterally and through multinational frameworks (e.g. the Nordic countries and the Baltic States), the European Union, NATO and other international venues.  Finland will also make its withdrawal from the convention and its reasons motivating the withdrawal known to the larger global community at relevant forums, such as arms control meetings.

The next Ottawa Convention meetings will be the Intersessional Meeting on 16–20 June 2025 and the annual Meeting of the State Parties on 1–5 December 2025. Both will be held in Geneva.

Several countries and international organisations have contacted Finland since the anti-personnel mine debate was revived in Finland in late 2024 and especially following the announcements by the defence ministers of Poland and the Baltic States on 18 March 2025. They have appealed to Finland not to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention and highlighted the objectives and positive effects of the convention and of the negative impacts of anti-personnel mines. However, many partners have also indicated that they understand the decision in light of the changes in the security environment and Finland’s geopolitical position. Many have also noted that each state has the right to withdraw from the convention based on its own decision and premises.

The decision will certainly generate discussion, and Finland is prepared to discuss the matter and explain the reasoning behind the decision at relevant forums, such as arms control meetings.

Finland has a reputation of being an active and constructive partner in arms control matters. We work to strengthen the international arms control system and thereby promote security. We stress the importance of multilateral arms control agreements for the promotion of the objectives of arms control and disarmament at the global level. Finland emphasises compliance with arms control agreements and confidence-building measures. For years, Finland has also provided financial support for the implementation of arms control agreements in partner countries and organisations. We have targeted a significant portion of our financial support to humanitarian mine action.

We will continue to work to reinforce our good reputation, preserve and further strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of our actions in the field of arms control.

For Finland, a small country dependent on cooperating with others, defending the rules-based international system is vital. For us, it is essential that the international order is based on rules and not on the use of force. Finland is a strong advocate for the rules-based, multilateral system and cooperation and acts globally to strengthen international law, democracy and human rights.

In conflict situations, special attention will be paid to promoting international humanitarian law , in other words, the law of armed conflict. We emphasise that the use of military force must comply with the requirements of necessity and proportionality under international humanitarian law.

Finland is an active member of a group of countries that defends the rules-based international system and the international humanitarian law.

The Ottawa Convention prohibits the use, development, production, stockpiling, retention and transfer, directly or indirectly, of anti-personnel mines. By withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, Finland is no longer bound by these obligations.

The general objective of the Ottawa Convention is to put an end to the human suffering caused by anti-personnel mines. The Convention also has a strong humanitarian dimension, and the State Parties have an obligation to support international mine clearing efforts and help mine victims.

The Convention has achieved major advances across the world. For example, it has significantly reduced the number of mine victims.
Finland can still show its commitment to the Convention's humanitarian objectives by continuing its long-term strong support to mine clearance and mine victims globally. Many states that are not parties to the Ottawa Convention are committed to advancing its goals.

Finland remains a State Party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which prohibits and limits the use of conventional weapons that are considered to cause unnecessary serious injuries or have indiscriminate effects. CCW Amended Protocol II includes prohibitions and restrictions on the use of mines, booby-traps and other devices. The Finnish Defence Forces have undertaken to observe the law of armed conflict in all of their activities and in their use of military force. They target military operations at the enemy armed force and military objects, and protect the civilian population and civilian objects.

Finland is not planning to withdraw from other arms control treaties.

Humanitarian mine action means all activities aimed at reducing or completely eliminating the threat and impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance upon civilians and their livelihoods. This is achieved through minefield survey and marking, mine clearance, mine risk education and mine victim assistance.

As part of its development cooperation, Finland has been supporting humanitarian mine action since the 1990s. Finland's humanitarian mine action is based on the obligations of the Ottawa Convention and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). During the 2021–2025 project cycle, Finland is dividing its support between projects in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia in accordance with Finland's humanitarian mine action concept for 2021–2025. Finland has chosen the countries based on factors such as urgent humanitarian needs arising from the number of mine victims,  as well as Finland's foreign, security and development policy priorities.

Finland has channelled support to multiannual projects run by international and civil society organisations. The support is allocated comprehensively across the areas of humanitarian mine action (e.g. mine clearance, risk education, victim assistance, capacity building).

During the five-year term from 2021 to 2025, Finland's support to humanitarian mine action will amount to EUR 15 million (EUR 3 million per year) from the development cooperation appropriations. In addition, EUR 1 million was allocated to mine action from the budget item for Ukraine in 2023. Finland has allocated EUR 14.91 million for the next five-year term from 2026 to 2030.

According to the agreement on security cooperation and long-term support between Finland and Ukraine, Finland is committed to supporting mine clearance in the territory of Ukraine, including humanitarian mine action, and capacity building of Ukrainian actors in this field. Ukraine’s needs for mine clearance will continue for decades to come. The support covers training of civilians, mine clearance, capacity building of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) and recovery support to mine victims.

Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Finland has supported mine clearance in Ukraine with some EUR 8.25 million. Even before this, Finland provided significant support for humanitarian mine action in Ukraine.

The Ottawa Convention has raised domestic policy debates in Finland before. The issue has divided opinion. Following a citizens' initiative, Parliament last debated it in 2022 and considered that there was no need to withdraw from the Convention.

The defence administration closely follows the changes in our security environment, the development of capabilities, and the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. In relation with this long-term effort, the Ministry of Defence asked the Finnish Defence Forces to conduct a comprehensive review into the needs and uses of its capabilities and the opportunities for adding to them. The review covers anti-personnel mines. The need for the review was also discussed in the Government Defence Report published in December.

The Finnish Defence Forces has replaced its anti-personnel mine capabilities in many different ways. It received additional financing to dispose anti-personnel mines, and it has used these to procure drones, multi-sensor anti-tank mines, anti-handling charges, directed fragmentation charges and situation picture systems, among other systems. Withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention would give the Defence Forces room to develop defence to meet the demands of the operating environment. Anti-personnel mines are versatile and cost-efficient systems that are easy to use and maintain, and they would be an efficient addition to the Defence Forces’ capabilities in the current security environment.

Finland is not preparing to reintroduce anti-personnel mines. First, we must decide to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention and wait until the withdrawal enters into force. It would be possible to produce anti-personnel mines in Finland.

If Finland were to bring back anti-personnel mines, the mines would have to be produced in Finland, as there is very limited production of anti-personnel mines internationally.

Finland already has strong and versatile defence capabilities. This means that there would be no hurry to bring back anti-personnel mines, and we would not be able to prepare such a measure before deciding to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention.