Estonia has not yet endorsed the Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. It did not actively participate in the negotiations towards a Political Declaration.
Statements and positions
Estonia has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. At the 2025 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, of which Estonia is a member, said that “overly permissive interpretations of the rules of international humanitarian law are undermining their key objective, that is, the protection of civilians and civilian objects” and, referencing Gaza, decried the “immense civilian harm has been caused by Israel’s indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas and its obstruction of life-saving aid”. In closing, it urged states to “work for the universal endorsement and implementation of the Political Declaration”. 1 At the 2023 open debate, the Group strongly welcomed the Political Declaration, called on other states to join it, and said that the 2024 Oslo Conference will provide a critical opportunity to make progress in implementing the Declaration. 2
As a member of the European Union (EU), Estonia 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 and welcoming the Political Declaration.
This includes at several UN Security Council open debates on the protection of civilians in armed conflict 3, including in 2024 when it expressed deep concern about the use and humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons in populated areas ‘which has significant civilian impact and should thus be restricted and avoided’4 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 5 and at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee. 6
Estonia aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ in its capacity 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.” 7