Iceland has acknowledged the harm caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) and committed to action on the matter but is not involved in the negotiations for a political declaration.
Statements
Iceland joined 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] Iceland reiterated this call in 2021 during the UN General Assembly First Committee, drawing attention to the important strides being made on addressing the use of EWIPA and expressing its support for these efforts.[2]
Iceland 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,[3] 2013,[4] 2014, 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]
Iceland aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ in its national capacity 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.”[7]
In October 2018, Iceland was one of 50 states to endorse the joint statement on the use of EWIPA at the UN General Assembly First Committee, calling attention to the devastating and long-lasting humanitarian impact of the use of EWIPA and urging states to reverse the trend of high levels of civilian harm.[8] Iceland also endorsed the joint statement during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee in 2019.[9] The statement encouraged states to participate in international efforts to address the impacts of the use of EWIPA on civilians, including by working towards the creation of an international political declaration on this issue.[10]
In a statement during the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2020, Iceland reaffirmed this position, noting that “another important stride in the right direction is the attempt to address EWIPA” and expressed support for these efforts.[11]
[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] Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations (2021). ‘UNGA76 First Committee General Debate Statement’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com21/statements/6Oct_Iceland.pdf.
[3] 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.
[4] 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.
[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] Agenda for Humanity Archives. ‘Iceland’. https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholders/commitments/188.html.
[8] Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations (2018). ‘UNGA73 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA)’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com18/statements/25Oct_EWIPA.pdf.
[9] INEW (2019). ‘Seventy-one States call for Action on Impact of Explosive Weapons in Joint Statement to UN General Assembly’. https://dev.inew.org/seventy-one-states-call-for-action-on-impact-of-explosive-weapons-in-joint-statement-to-un-general-assembly/.
[10] Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations (2019). ‘UNGA74 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA)’. https://article36.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNGA74-joint-statement-on-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.pdf.
[11] Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations (2020). ‘UNGA75 First Committee General Debate Statement’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com20/statements/9Oct_Iceland.pdf.