Algeria

Algeria has not yet endorsed the Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA). It did, however, actively participate in the fourth round of consultations towards a Political Declaration in April 2022. It commended the reaffirmation in the draft declaration of the commitment to respecting International Humanitarian Law (IHL) during armed conflict. It stressed the imperative of fully implementing the rules and principles that already exist in IHL, and said that the draft should reflect that states do not intend to create new rules. It recalled the position expressed by the Arab Group during the March 2021 consultations, which stressed that all reference to non-state armed groups should be strictly limited to IHL and should be without prejudice to the principle of self-determination and resistance against foreign aggression/occupation. Algeria also proposed the inclusion of wording that clarifies that the follow-up and implementation of the declaration needs to be ensured in line with obligations arising from instruments to which states are a party.1