Loading

Denmark

HAS ENDORSED THE POLITICAL DECLARATION

Denmark was actively involved in the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and was among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022. In April 2022, as the draft Declaration neared finalisation, Denmark echoed previous speakers to say that the purpose of the Declaration was not to create new rules, but rather to secure and enhance compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL). It proposed to amend paragraphs 3.3 and 3.4 to align with the IHL terminology to avoid ambiguity. It also recommended replacing the term “reverberating effects” by “incidental or indirect effects”. 1

Statements and priorities

Denmark has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas, notably the Nordic Group and the European Union (EU). Denmark delivered a statement on behalf of the Nordic Group 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 IHL.2 In 2022, at the UN General Assembly First Committee, the Nordic Group welcomed the Declaration as a positive outcome at a time of increased pressure within the international security environment, as well as a good sign that the international community can still work together towards tangible humanitarian goals.3

Finland 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 explosive weapons in populated areas, including at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in 2012,4 2013,5 2014,6 and 2016.7 In these statements, the Nordic Group highlighted the use of explosive weapons in populated areas 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 explosive weapons in populated areas. At the 2022 UN Security Council open debate on War in Cities, the Nordic Countries jointly called on all parties to conflict to prevent civilian harm resulting from use of explosive weapons in populated areas, especially those with wide area effects.8 At the 2022 UN General Assembly First Committee General Debate, the Nordic Group welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations on the Political Declaration9.

As a member of the European Union (EU), Denmark has signed onto numerous joint statements condemning the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and the harms it causes to civilians and civilian objects, as well as calling for greater IHL compliance. This includes at several UN Security Council open debates on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict 10 and at the General Debate of UN General Assembly First Committee11, as well as at the 2022 UN Security Council open debate on War in Cities where the EU expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas, including near hospitals, schools, and universities.12 The EU, with Denmark signing on, has also repeatedly welcomed the Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas – at the 2022 Dublin Conference, the 2022 and 2023 UN General Assembly First Committee (where it highlighted the work ahead for implementing the Declaration’s commitments), and at the 2023 UN Security Council open debate on the Protection of Civilians. Denmark also aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ as an EU member state 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.”13

  1. Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. ‘Watch Back: Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas – Political Declaration Consultations, Day 2’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK6v1iIZG8A. 

  2. ‘United Nations General Assembly 72nd Session, First Committee General Debate: Statement by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden’. 2 October 2017. https://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/statement-by-norway-on-behalf-of-the-nordic-countries-.pdf.

  3. Young, K. 2022. ‘First Committee Monitor, Vol.20, No.4’. Reaching Critical Will. 22 October 2022. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/FCM22/FCM-2022-No4.pdf. 

  4. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.7019. 19 August 2013. Available from:  https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7019.

  5. Ibid.

  6. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.7109. 12 February 2014. Available from: https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7109.

  7. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.7606. 19 January 2016. Available from: https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7606.

  8. Acheson, R. 2022. ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians.’ Reaching Critical Will, 28 January 2022. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

  9. Young, K. 2022. ‘First Committee Monitor, Vol.20, No.2’. Reaching Critical Will. 8 October 2022. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/FCM22/FCM-2022-No2.pdf.

  10. ‘EU Statement during the May 2011 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 10 May 2011.  http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/eu_poc_11may2011_0.pdf; ‘EU Statement during the June 2012 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 25 June 2012. http://www.peacewomen.org/security-council/security-council-open-debate-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-june-2012/; ‘EU Statement during the August 2013 UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 19 August 2013. http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/european_union_poc_august_2013_debate_0.pdf.

  11. ‘EU Statement to the UN General Assembly 72nd Session First Committee Thematic Discussion on Conventional Weapons’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 18 October 2017. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com17/statements/18Oct_EU.pdf.

  12. Acheson, R. 2022. ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians.’ Reaching Critical Will, 28 January 2022. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

  13. Agenda for Humanity Archives. ‘Denmark’. https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholders/commitments/152.html.

Other State Positions