Egypt has not yet endorsed the Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (explosive weapons in populated areas). It did, however, participate in the negotiations towards a Political Declaration. In the first informal consultations on the declaration in November 2019, Egypt stressed that the Political Declaration should not aim to create new norms or “stigmatise” certain types of weapons. Egypt also stressed the need for the declaration to include non-state actors.1 Egypt reaffirmed these positions during the second round of consultations in 2020, noting that new regulations are not needed to prevent the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, but that it is instead necessary to fully implement existing international humanitarian law (IHL). Egypt also called on the Political Declaration to differentiate between lawful and unlawful uses of explosive weapons in populated areas.2
Egypt attended the first international follow-up meeting on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024.
Statements and positions
At the first international follow-up conference Egypt stated that “in principle, Egypt supports all endeavours aiming at enhancing the protection of civilians from the devastating consequences of wars and armed conflicts, in accordance with the principles of International Humanitarian Law.” It expressed “deep and solid belief” in the “goals for which the Political Declaration is calling” and a “strong conviction in the need to improve compliance with international humanitarian law and to protect civilians when conducting military operations.” Egypt expressed that its Armed Forces and law enforcement authorities abide by international humanitarian law, and strictly adheres to “the principles of humanity, necessity, distinction and proportionality to limit, as far as possible, damage, injury and death to civilian objects in accordance with IHL.”
Egypt also reiterated concerns it has expressed about the Political Declaration not providing clear definitions of the term “explosive weapons” or “of the exact scope of its implementation and how it would be compatible with existing binding norms and principles of IHL”. In the case of the former, it expressed concern that it opened the door to “divergent interpretations based on political motivations that might transcend the purpose of that the Declaration is supposed to achieve” and stigmatise the use of conventional weapons necessary for legitimate self-defence and law enforcement purposes. Egypt also stated that the Declaration creates new mechanisms and commitments in broad and general terms, and a concern that this did not take into consideration states’ specific characteristics, circumstances, capabilities and national security concerns. Egypt also spoke about the ongoing and extensive use of explosive weapons in highly populated areas in Gaza, stating that it would have expected states that have endorsed the Political Declaration to unequivocally condemn the acts of Israel “which stand in stark contrast to all the principles and actions for which this Declaration advocates”. The conflict in Gaza, it stated, provided a case for examining how the Political Declaration and its commitments could make a meaningful difference. 3
Egypt has on a number of occasions spoken on EWIPA in multilateral forums. At the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in May 2019, Egypt condemned the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, noting that “conflicts are increasingly taking place in densely populated areas where explosive weapons with indiscriminate effects on civilians are used. All that requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account the specific characteristics of each conflict and prioritizes above all the protection of civilians, particularly women, children and the most vulnerable.”4 During the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023, Egypt referenced explosive weapon use by Israeli armed forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.5
Egypt has also aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. At the Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 2024, a working paper submitted by the Arab Group, of which Egypt is a member, drew attention to the Political Declaration, and the importance of strengthening civilian protection from the humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons in populated areas.6
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, of which Egypt is a member state, aligned itself with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to “Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity” in May 2016, including 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.”7