Argentina

In 2020, the United Kingdom reported fulfilment of its Article 5 clearance obligations, after the conclusion of demining operations in the Falkland Islands/Las Islas Malvinas.There is a sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands/Malvinas with Argentina, which claims jurisdiction over the islands. Argentina, however, has not accepted this declaration, stating that it continues to be prevented from accessing the territory and cannot verify the United Kingdom’s demining operations. In November 2023, two mines were discovered by tourists at Hell’s Kitchen beach on the Murrell Peninsula and three further AP mines were later discovered during clearance operations.UK Article 7 Report (covering 2024), Form G(2). The area had been cleared in 2019 with a total of 16 mines destroyed. In its Article 7 report for 2024, the United Kingdom declared that a total of five P4B blast AP mines were destroyed during the various operations. Since major AP mine clearance on the islands was duly completed in 2020, Mine Action Review does not consider Argentina to be mine-affected.In 2022, Argentina was granted an extension to its Article 5 clearance deadline until 1 March 2026. In 2025, however, Argentina again sought an extension to its Article 5 clearance deadline, calling for “joint demining” of the islands over which sovereignty is disputed.‘Convención de Ottawa – Reunión intersesional (17–20 junio 2025) Intervención del Emb. Carlos Foradori – R.P. de la Argentina’, Intersessional Meetings, Geneva, June 2025, at: http://bit.ly/4o1rkMF. It is important that States Parties strive to avoid politicisation of the Convention. 

• Argentina should carefully review the declaration by the United Kingdom that all mined areas on the Malvinas/Falkland Islands have been cleared and then declare fulfilment of its obligations under Article 5 of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention if it satisfied.

Click here to download the "Clearing the Mines 2021" report for Argentina.