Banning Anti-Personnel Mines - The Ottawa Treaty Explained (International Committee of the Red Cross , 1998, 24 p.): 2. The Ottawa treaty: 2.7 Withdrawal

Banning Anti-Personnel Mines - The Ottawa Treaty Explained (International Committee of the Red Cross , 1998, 24 p.)

2. The Ottawa treaty

		(introduction...)
		2.1 What is an anti-personnel mine?
		2.2 The elements of a comprehensive ban treaty
		2.3 Addressing the problem: mine clearance and assistance to victims
		2.4 Entry into force
		2.5 Ensuring compliance with the treaty
		2.6 Reservations
		2.7 Withdrawal

2.7 Withdrawal

As is the case with many other international legal agreements, a country is permitted to withdraw from the Ottawa treaty. To do so, it must give notice of its withdrawal to the UN Secretary-General, other States Parties and the UN Security Council. However, the withdrawal does not take effect until six months after such notice is received. If, however, at the end of this six-month period the country is involved in an armed conflict, the withdrawal is not effective until after the end of the armed conflict. Without a prohibition on withdrawal during armed conflicts, the treaty’s protections would risk expiring just at the moment they are most needed (i.e. in wartime).