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
Statements and positions
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.8 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 2012,9 2013,10 2014,11 and 2016.12 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.13 At the 2022 UN General Assembly First Committee General Debate, the Nordic Group welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations on the Political Declaration.14
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 Conflict 15 and at the General Debate of UN General Assembly First Committee16, 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.17 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.”18
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.19