(MENAFN) The 22nd assembly of states parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention wrapped up in Geneva on Friday, marked by widespread expressions of "regret" over the upcoming withdrawals of five countries.

Delegates cautioned that this shift could weaken one of the most robust humanitarian disarmament frameworks worldwide.

The meeting brought together more than 700 representatives from 126 nations, alongside over 20 international and civil society organizations.

The session was presided over by Japan's ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Ichikawa Tomiko.

Delegates voiced alarm over the withdrawals set to take effect between December and February. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will exit on Dec. 27, followed by Finland on Jan. 10, and Poland on Feb. 20.

In response, 93 States Parties issued statements highlighting that these departures threaten the integrity of the global ban on anti-personnel mines and could undermine broader humanitarian safeguards.

The gathering also addressed growing worries about a global trend toward militarized responses.

Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN high representative for disarmament affairs, noted during the meeting that "global military spending is surging across all regions, reaching a record $2.7 trillion in 2024," describing this as a "systemic shift" with "profound potential implications for global peace, stability and sustainable development."

She further warned that strategies "premised on the dangerous notion that military necessity can override humanitarian considerations … strike at the heart of what this Convention stands for," emphasizing that the legal protections for civilians "risks further erosion" if this trajectory persists.

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