Govt moves to withdraw from Ottawa Convention

The government has taken an initiative for withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, known as Ottawa Convention.

The draft proposal of the government was sent out for comments and it will remain open until May 16, said the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in a press release on Thursday.

Earlier on 1 April 2025, the government decided to begin the preparations for withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention.

The draft proposal stated that the main goals of Finland’s foreign and security policy are to safeguard Finland’s independence and territorial integrity, to avoid becoming involved in a military conflict and to improve the security and well-being of the people of Finland.

In order to secure these goals and, where necessary, to fight large-scale, protracted wars, Finland must be able to develop its defence capabilities. It is therefore appropriate to withdraw from the Convention.

Withdrawal from the convention will enable the reintroduction of anti-personnel mines to supplement Finland’s defence capabilities.

The draft government proposal also assessed, among other things, effects of withdrawal from the convention. Withdrawal would have effects especially on Finland’s national defence and foreign and security policy.

Furthermore, the draft proposal suggested that amendments resulting from the withdrawal from the convention be made to the Criminal Code, the Coercive Measures Act and the Act on Military Discipline and Combating Crime in the Finnish Defence Forces.

The President decides on Finland’s withdrawal from the convention after Parliament has given its consent.

The withdrawal will take effect six months after the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who serves as the Depository of the convention, has received Finland’s instrument of withdrawal.