Denmark has acknowledged the harm caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) and committed to take action on this issue. 

Statements

Denmark delivered a statement on behalf of the Nordic countries during the 72nd UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2017 that called on countries to participate in the ongoing discussions on protecting civilians in conflict, drawing attention to the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas, which cause a degree of civilian loss of life that is clearly disproportionate and in violation of international humanitarian law (IHL).[1]

Denmark has also signed onto other joint statements by the Nordic Group that have drawn attention to the importance of adhering to IHL and avoiding the use of EWIPA, including at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in 2012,[2] 2013,[3] 2014,[4] and 2016.[5] In these statements, the Nordic Group highlighted the use of EWIPA as an issue that requires immediate attention, including through robust data collection on its impact and the sharing of policies and practices to prevent the use of EWIPA. At the UN Security Council Open Debate “War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings” on 25 January 2022, the Nordic Countries jointly called on all parties to conflict to prevent civilian harm resulting from use of EWIPA, especially those with wide area effects.[6]

As a member of the European Union (EU), Denmark has signed onto numerous joint statements condemning the use of EWIPA and the harms it causes to civilians and civilian objects, including during the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in 2011,[7] 2012,[8] and 2013,[9] and at the UN Security Council Open Debate War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings on 25 January 2022.[10] The EU also spoke out against the use of EWIPA during the General Debate of the 72nd UN General Assembly First Committee in 2017, recognising its potential impact on civilians and calling on all parties to armed conflict to fully comply with international humanitarian law (IHL).[11]

Denmark aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ in its national capacity and as an EU member state in May 2016. This included the commitment “to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities, for instance by working to prevent civilian harm resulting from the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas, and by sparing civilian infrastructure from military use in the conduct of military operations.”[12]

[1] The Nordic Group (2017). ‘UNGA72 Statement by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden’. https://www.un.org/disarmament/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/statement-by-norway-on-behalf-of-the-nordic-countries-.pdf.

[2] The Nordic Group (2012). ‘Nordic Group Statement during the June 2012 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7019.

[3] The Nordic Group (2013). ‘Nordic Group Statement during the August 2013 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/european_union_poc_august_2013_debate_0.pdf.

[4] The Nordic Group (2014). ‘Nordic Group Statement during the February 2014 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7109.

[5] The Nordic Group (2016). ‘Nordic Group Statement during the January 2016 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7606.

[6] Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will (2022). ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians’. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

[7] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations (2011). ‘EU Statement during the May 2011 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/eu_poc_11may2011_0.pdf.

[8] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations European Union (2012). ‘EU Statement during the June 2012 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. http://www.peacewomen.org/security-council/security-council-open-debate-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-june-2012/.

[9] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations European Union (2013). ‘EU Statement during the August 2013 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’.

[10] Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will (2022). ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians’. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

[11] European Union (2017). ‘UNGA First Committee Statement’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com17/statements/18Oct_EU.pdf.

[12] Agenda for Humanity Archives. ‘Denmark’. https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholders/commitments/152.html.