Iceland was not directly involved in the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. It was, however, among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022. As a member of the Nordic countries, Iceland welcomed the finalized Declaration at the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2022, noting that the Declaration is 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.1
Statements and positions
Iceland has on a number of occasions spoken on explosive weapons in populated areas in multilateral forums. In a statement during the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2020, Iceland noted efforts to address explosive weapons in populated areas were “another important stride in the right direction” and expressed its support.2 Iceland reiterated this in 2021 during the UN General Assembly First Committee, drawing attention to the progress being made.3
Alongside its individual statements, Iceland has repeatedly aligned with other states on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2018 and 2019, Iceland 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 4.
Iceland has joined several statements made by the Nordic Group including in 2017 to the UN General Assembly First Committee calling on countries to participate in the ongoing discussions on protecting civilians in conflict, and drawing attention to the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas.5 Iceland 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 2012,6 2013,7 2014, and 2016.8 In these statements, the Nordic Group highlighted the use of explosive weapons in populated areas as an issue that requires immediate attention, including 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 UN Security Council Open Debate War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings on 25 January 2022, 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.9
Iceland has also aligned with several statements delivered by the European Union (EU) on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas, most recently at the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023 where the EU statement welcomed the Political Declaration and highlighted the importance of its adoption. The EU also highlighted the work ahead for implementing the Declaration’s commitments, including at the 2024 Oslo Conference.10 In addition, Iceland 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.”11