The OSCE Secretariat bears no responsibility for the content of this document FSC.EMI/356/25 and circulates it without altering its content. The distribution by OSCE 24 July 2025 Conference Services of this document is without prejudice to OSCE decisions, as set out in documents agreed by OSCE participating States. ENGLISH only CANADIAN RESPONSE TO OSCE QUESTIONNAIRE ON ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES May 31, 2025
Part I
1. Is your country a State Party to the 1996 Amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices annexed to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW)?
Canada is a State Party to the 1996 Amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices annexed to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW). Canada deposited its instrument of ratification on 5 January, 1998. Amended Protocol II entered into force for Canada on 3 December, 1998.
Part II
7. Has your country ratified or acceded to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction?
Canada was the first State to sign and ratify the Convention, and to deposit its instrument of ratification, all on 3 December, 1997. The Convention entered into force for Canada on 1 March, 1999.
(c) Has your country adopted legislation to address the humanitarian objectives of the convention, or taken any specific measures regarding the use, production, storage, transfer and destruction of anti-personnel landmines? In case a moratorium has been introduced, what is its scope and duration and when was it introduced?
Following approval by both houses of the Parliament of Canada, on November 27, 1997 the Governor General gave royal assent to An Act to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. This Act entered into force on March 1, 1999.
The Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act prohibits the development, production, acquisition, possession, transfer, stockpiling and placement of anti-personnel mines. The Act also requires the Government of Canada to destroy anti-personnel mines stockpiled by Canada (although the destruction of stockpiles had been completed before the Act had been approved by Parliament).
9. Does your country have any specific measures in place to provide assistance to victims?
1 Canada’s course of action on Article 6.3 of the Convention is to integrate assistance for victims of anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war into its broader development assistance efforts in supporting priority sectors, including health. Canada has also integrated victim assistance into its post- conflict stabilization and reconstruction efforts.
Global Affairs Canada provides support, on a responsive basis, to victims of anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war when these activities are identified as a need within a broader humanitarian response. Global Affairs Canada relies on its experienced humanitarian partners to identify the most pressing humanitarian needs, including victim assistance, and address them, as appropriate. The International Humanitarian Assistance Bureau consults widely within Global Affairs Canada to ensure that Canada’s humanitarian response is aligned with its longer-term intervention, as appropriate.
10. Does your country require assistance in mine clearance, stockpile destruction, mine awareness and/or victim assistance? If so, please describe.
Canada is not mine-affected and does not require assistance in mine clearance, stockpile destruction, risk education, victim assistance nor advocacy.
11. Does your country have the capacity to assist others in mine action? If so, please describe.
Canada provides assistance for mine action through Global Affairs Canada’s bilateral development assistance and security programs. In 2018, Global Affairs Canada expanded the mandate of the Weapons Threat Reduction Program to enable institutional support to international agreements dealing with conventional weapons, such as the Ottawa Convention.
2 CANADIAN RESPONSE TO OSCE QUESTIONNAIRE ON EXPLOSIVE REMNANTS OF WAR May 31, 2025
1. Has your country notified the Depositary of its consent to be bound by the 2003 CCW Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) once it enters into force?
Yes.
2. If yes, at what stage is the process?
Canada has ratified Protocol V and deposited its instrument of ratification on 19 May, 2009. It entered into force for Canada on 19 November, 2009.
3. Would your country be interested in receiving assistance in clearing or otherwise minimizing the risks and effects of ERW?
No. Canada does not need assistance in clearing or otherwise minimizing the risks and effects of ERW.
4. Does your country have the capacity to assist others in clearing and minimizing the risks and effects of ERW? If so, please describe.
Canada considers the provision of assistance in clearing of ERW and minimizing the risks and effects of ERW to be an essential part of our continuing mine action programming.
Canada currently has CAD 46 M in operational mine action programming, including clearance (of mines, cluster munitions and ERW), stockpile destruction, advocacy, victim assistance and mine risk education.
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