Bhutan declares itself free of landmines

Bhutan has become the latest state to declare that it has cleared all known anti-personnel mines in areas under its jurisdiction or control as required by the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or Ottawa Convention, which bans the use, stockpile, production and transfer of these weapons. Bhutan did so over two years before its February 2016 deadline. The announcement was made by the Bhutanese delegation at the Convention’s Thirteenth Meeting of the States Parties, which is taking place this week in Geneva. “It is therefore my privilege and honour to inform this gathering that in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, Bhutan has cleared all the anti-personnel mines that were laid in its territory,” said the head of the Bhutanese delegation.