People who dared to think of a world free of anti-personnel mines used to be viewed as altruists and idle dreamers, at odds with the world's realities, in which the weapons were seen as necessary and intrinsically valuable items in any armoury.

These days only a few countries possess them, and even fewer still use them.

But the deadly millions sown since such weapons were first used extensively in World War II, and then in numerous colonial liberation conflicts and civil wars, are a constant impediment to fragile societies coming to terms with peace.

The disgust of civil society for these weapons galvanized the movement that brought the Mine Ban Treaty into force in 1999. Yet more than 70 states are still affected by mines, and a "reliable determination of the size of the global landmine problem still does not exist", said the 2009 Landmine Monitor, a civil society network monitoring compliance with the treaty.

Landmines affect food security, and inflict death and injuries that increase the burden on already creaking health systems. Affected countries compete to obtain funding for mine clearance and risk education, while survivors speak eloquently and passionately of their return journey to acceptance by society.

These issues and more are explored in this special series of articles and photographs.