Campaign to Ban Landmines

About the Campaign

About the Campaign to Ban Landmines

Formally launched in October of 1992 by a small group of organizations, including Physicians for Human Rights, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines became a powerful grassroots movement that built enough political pressure in five years to bring the international community together to negotiate the first treaty in history to ban a conventional weapon. The Campaign was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work toward achieving the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty which bans the use, trade, production, and stockpiling of antipersonnel mines.

As a majority of the world's countries joined the treaty, the United States staunchly held out. The US Campaign to Ban Landmines, formed in the mid-1990s as part of the Ban Landmine Movement, continues to focus its efforts on exerting pressure on the US government to join the treaty and to provide high levels of support for de-mining and victim assistance programs worldwide. PHR served as the coordinating organization of this campaign from early 2000-2005. Currently, PHR serves on the USCBL Steering Committee.