The International Campaign to Ban Landmines was first launched in 1992 in order to help alleviate the global and regional landmine crisis. The initial signatories comprised of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOS) such as the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), Medico International (MI) Handicap International (HI), Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and Physician for Human Rights (PHR). This initiative to ban landmines was later on taken up by most of the countries in the world including South Africa.

The South African Campaign to Ban Landmines (SACBL), launched in 1995, was part of an international movement which was committed to lobbying for a global ban of anti-personnel landmines by the year 2000. In South Africa, the SACBL was popularised by the military veterans. The call by South African military veterans followed on the heels of the Canadian sponsored conference which was held in October 1996. It strengthened world-wide government support for a ban on antipersonnel landmines. This conference ended with the adoption of the Ottawa Declaration which included a commitment to working towards the complete ban on anti-personnel landmines.

The SACBL was coordinated by the Ceasefire Campaign and participating groups included: OXFAM, the Group for Environmental Monitoring (GEM) and the Justice and Peace Unit of the Catholic Church. In an open letter addressed to President Nelson Mandela, the signatories of the SACBL welcomed the government's commitment to eliminate anti-personnel landmines. They called upon the South African Government to declare a complete ban on anti-personnel mines, that is, a ban on their production, stockpiling, sale and use.

By 1997 South Africa joined more than 39 countries that were already supporting a ban. By 2004, the International Campaign Landmines had over 1400 subscribed members. From 1992 to 2004, these countries held conferences and conducted workshops on the landmine ban.