Setting Standards: International Political Commitment Limiting Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

30-09-2022

Amanda Benoy

Middle East Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is the predominant cause of civilian harm in armed conflict. The consequences of explosive weapons have been experienced in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen in recent conflicts. Due to their lack of precision and large blast radius, the destructive effects of explosive weapons extend well beyond the intended target. As a result of the indiscriminate nature of the weapons, civilians are killed, injured, or permanently disabled. Even after the termination of hostilities, unexploded ordnances continue to contribute to death and disability. Houses, schools, and culturally-significant sites are often damaged or destroyed, along with the physical capital necessary to support livelihood opportunities. Moreover, the disruption of infrastructure essential for human survival, including water, sanitation, food supply chains, and healthcare facilities, gives rise to secondary disease and death. The direct and indirect exposure to death and destruction accompanying violence is associated with long-term detrimental mental health outcomes.

Following years of advocacy and negotiations, the Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas has been drafted and will be open for endorsement by States in Dublin on 18 November 2022. The Declaration is an international political commitment to limit the use of explosive weapons in populated areas by adopting national policies and enforcing military practices that take reasonably foreseeable effects into account in the planning of military operations. The Declaration further includes a commitment to provide psychosocial assistance to conflict-affected victims and communities, as well as data collection and data-sharing pertaining to the use of explosive weapons and their effects. Although the Declaration is not legally binding, it establishes standards intended to guide State behavior. States’ endorsement of the Declaration will signal a shared commitment to minimizing suffering in armed conflict. 

Sources and further reading

ICRC. “Factsheet: Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas,” June 2016. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/explosive-weapons-populated-areas-factsheet.

Giorgou, Eirini. “Explosive Weapons with Wide Area Effects: A Deadly Choice in Populated Areas.” ICRC, January 2022. https://www.icrc.org/en/event/explosive-weapons-wide-

area-effects-deadly-choice-populated-areas.

ICRC. “Political Declaration on Strenghtening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas,” September 28, 2022. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/political-declaration-on-explosive-weapons.