Finland 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.
Finland regularly delivered statements throughout the consultations towards a Political Declaration, as well as raising concerns around explosive weapons in populated areas and expressing support for a Political Declaration in other multilateral forums. Early in the consultation process Finland suggested that the declaration include considerations of the environmental effects of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas1 and suggested the addition of a reference to binding obligations to protect hospitals and demilitarised zones, and for the evacuation of civilians.2 During the consultations, Finland also emphasised the need to include “all vulnerable groups” within provisions regarding victim assistance3 and to recognise the gendered impacts of explosive weapons in populated areas use4. The importance of international humanitarian law (IHL) was also a repeated theme in Finland’s statements to the consultations, where it stressed the importance of specifying that all parties to a given conflict, including non-state actors, are bound by IHL5 that suggested the focus of the consultations should be on the full and effective implementation of IHL6. At the signing ceremony in Dublin in November 2022, Finland welcomed the declaration’s strong call for full and effective implementation of IHL as a means to protect civilians and to avoid and minimize civilian harm in military operations. Finland reiterated that it is critical that the declaration raises the importance of an integrated, gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory approach, and acknowledges the rights of persons with disabilities and their assistance.7
Finland attended and spoke at the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024.
Statements and positions
At the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration Finland spoke during the session on Military Policies and Practices. It expressed its commitment to “the full and effective implementation” of the Political Declaration. The country’s statement focused specifically on defensive activities, stating that its Defence Forces have a “comprehensive approach” in its “practices to avoid and minimise civilian harm, whilst maintaining preparedness to defend all of Finland’s territory against an aggressor.” Herein, it identified an effective public warning system, proactive evacuation of populated areas, and effective cooperation between the Defence Forces and civilian authorities are crucial steps to mitigate civilian harm. Finland also stated it has “a comprehensive set of safety criteria and regulations aimed towards mitigating incidental harm to civilians or civilian infrastructure.” Finland shared that it “has already taken extensive steps to implement the elements of the declaration”, but that there “is still need for reviewing and improving military policies and practices to protect civilians in conflict situations when necessary.” It concluded its remarks by suggesting that comparing and exchanging existing practices would be useful to improve national practices and better adapt to “changing contexts, adversaries as well as new technological developments”8.
Finland has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas, notably the Nordic Group and the European Union (EU). In 2017, at the Finland 72nd UN General Assembly First Committee, delivered a statement on behalf of the Nordic countries drawing attention to the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas and the consequent disproportionate loss of civilian life and violations of IHL.9 At the same meeting in 2024, the Group expressed concern for the increasing use of explosive weapons in populated areas, stating that it “poses great risk to civilians and civilian infrastructure. “ The Group underlined the key role of the Political Declaration herein, and said that “if fully implemented, it can improve the way we conduct military operations and ensure compliance with IHL”, encouraging all states to endorse it.10 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 2012,10 2013,11 2014,12, 201613 and 202414. 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. The Group’s statement in 2024, delivered by Denmark, highlighted the widespread and reverberating harm caused by the destruction of critical infrastructure, and welcomed initiatives that provide a more nuanced understanding of how patterns and types of harm affect different groups and identified the Political Declaration as a concrete tool to minimise such harm effectively.15 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.16 At the 2022 UN General Assembly First Committee General Debate, the Nordic Group welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations on the Political Declaration17.
As a member of the European Union (EU), Finland has also 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 Conflict18, including 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”19 and at the General Debate of UN General Assembly First Committee.20 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.21 The EU, with Finland 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. Finland 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”22.
In 2018 and 2019, Finland joined some 50 and 71 states respectively to endorse joint statements 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.23
Implementation of the Political Declaration
In February 2024, INEW and EWM conducted a state survey into endorser states' national efforts to disseminate and implement the Political Declaration. In the survey, Finland reported that it had disseminated the Political Declaration, specifically to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Ministry of Defence (MOD), as well as throughout the organisation of the Finnish Defence Forces (DF); the Defence Command, the Army Command, the Navy Command and the Air Force Command. The MFA, MoD and DF share responsibility for implementing the Declaration, with coordination responsibility held by the Unit for Arms Control at the MFA. Finland reported that it had conducted briefings, workshops or trainings on the content of the Declaration, stating that it had been included in detail in its International Humanitarian Law trainings which are conducted in cooperation with the Finnish Red Cross24.
Finland stated that it has not conducted any revision of its laws, policies, codes, approaches, practices or similar since the adoption of the Political Declaration. It reported that “existing laws and policies were reviewed on a general level during the adoption process in order to confirm that there were no contradictions between them and the commitments of the declaration”25.
To view all of Finland’s responses to the INEW and EWM state survey, and other states’ responses, see the Explosive Weapons Monitor 2023, Chapter III on Universalisation and Implementation of the Political Declaration.