AVM

Anti-vehicle mines (AVMs), sometimes called anti-tank mines (ATMs), are explosive devices emplaced on or under the ground and triggered by the weight, magnetic signature, or movement of a vehicle. They are distinguished from anti-personnel mines (APMs) by their higher activation thresholds, usually requiring 100 kg or more of pressure, though sensitive fuzes, tripwires, or tilt rods can cause them to function like APMs in practice.

AVMs fall under the umbrella of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Amended Protocol II to the CCW (1996) regulates mines, booby-traps, and other devices, including AVMs, requiring parties to record minefields, mark and fence them, and take measures to protect civilians. Unlike APMs, AVMs are not banned by the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Treaty), which is a persistent gap that humanitarian actors such as the ICRC and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) have urged states to address.

Humanitarian concern centers on AVMs that function as de facto APMs because of sensitive fuzes, and on their long-term impact on civilian transport, agriculture, and humanitarian access. The Landmine Monitor, published annually by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), tracks AVM incidents alongside APM and improvised explosive device (IED) casualties. Roads contaminated by AVMs frequently block aid convoys; the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has repeatedly cited AVM contamination as a major obstacle in Mali, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

Modern AVMs may incorporate self-destruct or self-deactivation features, anti-handling devices, or scatterable delivery from artillery, rockets, or aircraft. Non-state armed groups increasingly deploy improvised AVMs, blurring the line between conventional mines and roadside IEDs. For MUN delegates and researchers, AVMs typically arise in debates on disarmament (First Committee), protection of civilians, and peacekeeping mandates involving demining components.