• Over 65 states with 200 delegates participated in negotiations of a new international agreement, at the United Nations in Geneva from 6-8 April 2022. A meeting is being planned to finalise the text in June.
• The crux of the negotiations centre around a provision how states should address the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
• The NGO coalition – the International Network on Explosive Weapons – is calling for new international standards to reduce civilian harm and assist affected communities by avoiding use of explosive weapon when they have wide area effects in populated areas.

 Geneva, 8 April 2022, States are close to agreement of a new international agreement that will commit states to undertaking a range of actions to reduce civilian harm from bombing and shelling in towns and cities. Central to this, is a draft commitment in the text for how states should address the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

Laura Boillot, coordinator of the International Network on Explosive Weapons said:

“Bombing and shelling in towns and cities is a major cause of civilian harm as seen in Ukraine and elsewhere. It is urgent for governments to conclude negotiations that commit states to avoiding use in populated areas of explosive weapons when they have wide area effects.”

 A major cause of civilian harm

When explosive weapons are used in towns, cities and other populated areas, civilians are killed and injured and yet more suffer from damage and destruction to infrastructure, as widely documented, most recently in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Iraq, Gaza, Yemen and Syria. Data shows that when explosive weapons are used in populated areas, 90% of victims are civilians.

Alma Taslidzan, advocacy manager at Humanity & Inclusion

“Whether by airstrikes, rockets or artillery, civilians suffer the most when explosive weapons are used in towns and cities. Beyond facing the risk of death, many are forced to flee, and communities continue to suffer long after the bombing stops.”

 Explosive weapons were designed for use in open battlefields and have devastating consequences when used in populated areas.

The status of government negotiations

Despite broad recognition of the urgent need to address civilian harm, divergences remain over key provisions in the text.

Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States have worked to weaken the text’s operative commitments that would increase the protection of civilians in armed conflict, notably the core commitment on the use of explosive weapons in towns, cities and other populated areas.

In some cases, suggested changes to declaration provisions would not only fail to strengthen the protection of civilians but would also fall short of already existing legal obligations.

Under the leadership of Ireland, 65 states participated in negotiations, including Ukraine. A strong, humanitarian-centred text was called for by states in Latin America namely Chile and Mexico, Africa including Nigeria and Togo, as well as Austria and New Zealand.

Russia and Syria have stayed away from talks.

A final meeting is being planned in June 2022 to conclude the text of the agreement, before it will be open for adoption later in the year.

New international agreement to reduce civilian harm  

The negotiations of a new agreement aims to reduce the civilian harm caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and will require changes to current military policies and rules of engagement.

Particular concerns are focused on explosive weapons with wide area effects, which, due to their scale of explosive force have a wide blast and fragmentation radius, or are inaccurate, or deliver multiple munitions across a targeted area, or have a combination of these characteristics. These wide area effect weapons cause widespread damage and as such are inappropriate choices for use in towns and cities.

INEW calls for the draft international political declaration to contain commitments to:

• Avoid use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in towns, cities and other populated areas
• Assist victims, including people injured, and families of those killed and injured
• Address the long-lasting humanitarian impacts when critical civilian infrastructure is destroyed
• Collect and share data on civilian harm from explosive weapon use.

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 Uldduz Sohrabi, +44 20 7193 2555 / +44 (0) 7547 893 493 /uldduz@article36.org