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Bosnia and Herzegovina

HAS ENDORSED THE POLITICAL DECLARATION

Bosnia and Herzegovina was not directly involved in the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. It was, however, among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022.

Statements and positions

Bosina and Herzegovina attended the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024. The country spoke about its experience with the effects of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and expressed concern about ongoing use in Ukraine and Gaza. Bosnia and Herzegovina underlined the importance of concrete action, stating that good intentions alone were not enough.1 

Bosnia and Herzegovina aligned with several statements delivered by the European Union (EU) on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas, the latest one being the statement delivered during the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict in 2024, when the EU stated it was ‘deeply concerned by the use and humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons in populated areas, which has significant civilian impact and should thus be restricted or avoided’.2 At General Assembly First Committee in 2023, the EU welcomed the Political Declaration and highlighted the importance of its adoption. The EU also highlighted the work ahead for implementing the Declaration’s commitments, including at the 2024 Oslo Conference.3  

In October 2018, Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of 50 states to endorse the joint statement on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas at the UN General Assembly First Committee, calling attention to the devastating and long-lasting humanitarian impact of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and urging states to reverse the trend of high levels of civilian harm.4 Bosnia and Herzegovina also endorsed the Ireland-led joint statement during the 74th United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee in 2019.5 The statement encouraged states to participate in international efforts to address the impacts of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas on civilians, including by working towards the creation of an international Political Declaration on this issue.6

  1. Reaching Critical Will: notes from the first international conference on implementation of the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in Oslo, Norway. April 2024. 

  1. EU Statement – UN Security Council: Protection of Civilians.’ Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 21 May 2024. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-new-york/eu-statement-%E2%80%93-un-security-council-protection-civilians_en?s=63;  

  1. ‘European Union Statement on Conventional Weapons: First Committee of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly’. Reaching Critical Will. October 2023. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com23/statements/23Oct_EU.pdf  

  1. ‘UNGA73 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (explosive weapons in populated areas)’. Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. 25 October 2018. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com18/statements/25Oct_explosive weapons in populated areas.pdf     

  1. ‘UNGA74 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’. Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. 24 October 2019. https://article36.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNGA74-joint-statement-on-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.pdf.  

  1. ‘Seventy-one States call for Action on Impact of Explosive Weapons in Joint Statement to UN General Assembly’. International Network on Explosive Weapons. October 2019. https://www.inew.org/seventy-one-states-call-for-action-on-impact-of-explosive-weapons-in-joint-statement-to-un-general-assembly/   

Other State Positions