Loading

North Macedonia

HAS ENDORSED THE POLITICAL DECLARATION

The Republic of North Macedonia has 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.

North Macedonia attended the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024.

Statements and positions

As a Candidate Country to the European Union (EU), the North Macedonia has aligned with EU 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, 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”1 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 2 At the UN General Assembly in 2025 Norh Macedonia aligned with the EU statement, which recalled the Political Declaration and its “aim to reduce harm and strengthen the protection of civilians” and noted the Costa Rica conference offered an opportunity to “translate the Declaration into concrete measures on the ground”. 3 At First Committee in 2023 the EU welcomed the Political Declaration and highlighted the importance of its adoption as well as the work ahead for implementing the Declaration’s commitments, including at the 2024 Oslo Conference. 4

In 2018 and 2019, North Macedonia 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. 5 

  1. EU Statement – UN Security Council: Protection of Civilians.’ Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 21 May 2024. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-new-york/eu-statement-%E2%80%93-un-security-council-protection-civilians_en?s=63. 
  2. EU Statement – UN Security Council: War in Cities’. 25 January 2022. https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-new-york/eu-statement-%E2%80%93-un-security-council-war-cities_en.
  3. ‘EU Statement to the UN General Assembly 80th Session First Committee Thematic Discussion on Conventional Weapons’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 23 October 2025. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com25/statements/23Oct_EU.pdf.
  4. 'Statement on Conventional Weapons’. European Union. 23 October 2023. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com23/statements/23Oct_EU.pdf.
  5. ‘UNGA73 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (explosive weapons in populated areas)’. Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. 25 October 2018. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com18/statements/25Oct_explosive weapons in populated areas.pdf; ‘UNGA74 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’. Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. 24 October 2019. https://article36.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNGA74-joint-statement-on-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.pdf; ‘Seventy-one States call for Action on Impact of Explosive Weapons in Joint Statement to UN General Assembly’. International Network on Explosive Weapons. October 2019. https://www.inew.org/seventy-one-states-call-for-action-on-impact-of-explosive-weapons-in-joint-statement-to-un-general-assembly/.  

Other State Positions