Process for a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
After Austria hosted a conference on Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare in October 2019, Ireland announced it would hold a series of consultations with a view towards developing a political declaration to address the humanitarian harm arising from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
The first two consultations took place in Geneva on 18 November 2019 and 10 February 2020. Ireland released a draft of the political declaration in March 2020, but the subsequent round of consultations were postponed due to COVID-19. After accepting written input throughout 2020, Ireland released a revised draft declaration in January 2021. Online consultations were held 3-5 March 2021. Further talks were postponed due to the pandemic, but in-person consultations were held 6-8 April 2022 in Geneva to discuss a second revised draft declaration circulated by Ireland in March 2022.
Following the April 2022 consultations, Ireland issued a third draft declaration, which was discussed at the final meeting on 17 June 2022 in Geneva. At this meeting, states agreed to the final text of the declaration and several states announced their intention to endorse it at any upcoming signing ceremony. The signing ceremony was held in Dublin, Ireland on 18 November 2022, when 83 states signed the Political Declaration.
Resources from the consultations
Reaching Critical Will resources
WILPF calls for an end to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and supports the development of a political declaration. We have also drawn attention to the gendered, human rights, and arms trade aspects of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Here are some of our key resources related to the use of EWIPA and the political declaration process:
- RCW reports from the consultations
- WILPF comments on the second revised draft political declaration, April 2022
- WILPF comments on the revised draft political declaration, February 2021
- WILPF remarks on the draft political declaration, April 2020
- Report on the 10 February consultations, 14 February 2020
- WILPF comments on the draft EWIPA declaration elements paper, January 2020
- WILPF recommendations for a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, January 2020
- WILPF statement to the Vienna conference on Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare, October 2019
- We are still here: Mosulite women 500 days after the conclusion of the coalition military operation, January 2019
- Women and explosive weapons, February 2014
- Trading arms, bombing towns: the lethal connection between the international arms trade and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, September 2015
- Explosive weapons and the right to health, education, and adequate housing, May 2016
INEW resources
The International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), of which WILPF is a member, has long called for the development of such a declaration as well as operational and policy positions aimed at ending the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas. Some recent INEW resources on this issue include:
- Question and answers on explosive weapons in populated areas and the political declaration, September 2022
- INEW’s leaflet, September 2022
- 10 essential elements for a successful political declaration, March 2022
- INEW comments on the revised draft political declaration text of March 2022, March 2022
- INEW comments on the draft political declaration text of January 2021, February 2021
- INEW key advocacy points on the draft political declaration, April 2020
- INEW briefing note towards a political declaration to address the harm from explosive weapons in populated areas, November 2019
- INEW briefing paper on protecting civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, October 2019
- INEW's suggested elements for a political declaration, October 2019
- INEW briefing paper on a declaration to prevent harm from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, September 2019
- Explosive weapons in populated areas: key questions and answers, September 2019
Additional resources