New Declaration On Explosive Weapons Welcome: Now Action Needed

18 November 2022

The Aotearoa New Zealand Network on Explosive Weapons welcomes the new international Declaration on explosive weapons which will be officially launched tonight at a high-level conference in Dublin, Ireland.

The landmark agreement addresses the widespread civilian suffering and devastation resulting from the bombing and shelling of populated areas, and it is expected more than 70 states, including New Zealand, will endorse it. There will be an opportunity to hear the Minister for Disarmament speak about New Zealand’s support for this in a forum next Wednesday, 23 November (details below).

The use of explosive weapons - such as artillery, bombs, and missiles - in populated areas has grave humanitarian consequences, including widespread physical and psychological harm to civilians; destruction of civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power stations, water and sewage treatment plants, communication systems, education facilities, rubbish disposal and transportation; and long-lasting contamination of the environment.

For decades there have been calls for collective action to address this harm, and finally - after almost three years of negotiations led by the government of Ireland - the ‘Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’ (EWIPA Declaration) will open for endorsement tonight.

The EWIPA Declaration commits states to impose restrictions on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas to reduce civilian harm, and also to assist victims and affected communities.

The Aotearoa New Zealand Network on Explosive Weapons urges all states to join the EWIPA Declaration and - most importantly - to implement all of its provisions and protect civilians from harm.

The Declaration is a breakthrough moment in humanitarian disarmament, but it will be meaningless if states do not implement it immediately - action must be taken now by all endorsing states to develop policies and practices which limit the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and ensure that the protection of civilians is prioritised in the planning and conduct of any military operations.

This applies as much it does to the NZDF as it does to the armed forces of other endorsing states, and we are expecting comprehensive guidelines for any future New Zealand combat deployments to be developed and made public as a matter of urgency.

We are also expecting that New Zealand’s support for the EWIPA Declaration will be matched by a commitment to provide meaningful practical assistance to communities harmed by the use of explosive weapons; as well as diplomatic efforts to encourage further states to join this desperately needed initiative and take action to protect civilians.

The Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Phil Twyford, will be speaking about the EWIPA Declaration and the Dublin conference in an online forum next Wednesday, 23 November, organised by Peace Movement Aotearoa and the New Zealand Red Cross, in association with UN Youth New Zealand and WILPF Wellington. To attend, please register at https://bit.ly/ewipa-nov22 or contact Peace Movement Aotearoa, email icanz@xtra.co.nz

Links to further information

• International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), https://www.inew.org/ https://twitter.com/explosiveweapon
• EWIPA Dublin Conference 2022 and Declaration text, https://www.dfa.ie/our-role-policies/international-priorities/peace-and-security/ewipa-consultations
• Explosive Weapons Monitor, https://www.explosiveweaponsmonitor.org/ https://twitter.com/WeaponsMonitor

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