Norway was actively involved in the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022, and hosted the first international conference on the Declaration in April 2024.
At the endorsement conference, Norway said that the Political Declaration represents both the acknowledgement of humanitarian suffering caused by explosive weapons in populated areas, and the commitment to take action to mitigate its consequences. It expressed support for the implementation phase and said it looked forward to confirming Norway’s firm ambition to stay the course.1
Norway regularly delivered statements throughout the consultations towards a Political Declaration. Early in the process, it outlined its belief that the objective of the Declaration should be to strengthen International Humanitarian Law (IHL), adding that the Declaration should include encouragement of cooperation among states and/or with civil society to build a community of practice.2 Throughout the consultations, Norway opposed use of qualifiers such as “can cause harm” in the text, but especially where used to weaken the causal connection between use of explosive weapons in populated areas and civilian harm. Norway firmly opposed attempts to restrict the Declaration to addressing only ‘indiscriminate’ use of explosive weapons in populated areas,3 and raised specific concerns with the phrase “restrict use” in the draft text, suggesting it be replaced with “minimise” which more clearly asks for as little use of explosive weapons in populated areas as possible.
Norway committed to continue its international leadership working towards the universalisation and implementation of the Political Declaration alongside Ireland and Costa Rica during the first international follow-up conference in Oslo in April 2024. The Troika - representing the past, present and incoming Chairs of the process - stressed the continued severe humanitarian suffering and destruction caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in multiple ongoing conflicts and set out concrete recommendations for the way forward. The Troika reaffirmed that efforts to implement the Declaration at the national level must continue and be reinforced through the development and improvement of policies and practices, including on restricting or refraining from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas when such use is expected to cause harm to civilians or civilian objects. It also emphasised the need for states to gain a thorough understanding of direct and indirect effects, obtained through data collection and sharing, and factoring such efforts into the planning and conduct of military and security operations. The Troika also called for states to increase assistance to victims and communities affected by armed conflict4.
Statements and positions
Norway was an active participant in the consultations towards the Political Declaration. Norway’s position that the Political Declaration’s objective should be to strengthen international humanitarian law, was emphasised through statements that the Declaration must not weaken IHL by being selective in references or abbreviating or restating it.5 Norway supported the inclusion of reverberating effects of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Simultaneously, it raised concerns about the “relatively new” term, noting that both direct and indirect effects are already a part of its own operational decision-making. Whilst reverberating effects were less familiar, it emphasised that its inclusion in the Declaration was nonetheless important.6 Norway asked that the Declaration should clearly acknowledge the specific risks to children, as well as the particular challenge of clearance of explosive remnants of war and the environmental effects of use of explosive weapons in populated areas.7 In addition, Norway noted that 3.3’s most important added value is in developing policies and practices to avoid civilian harm, for which IHL already “provides a solid toolbox”. Norway also spoke to its support for a regular schedule of meetings to ensure the Declaration remains relevant.8 At the final consultation in June 2022, Norway commended the text and said that the Declaration reflects a clear commitment to review and improve the way states conduct their military operations to make significant efforts to strengthen the protection of civilians from the harm that explosive weapons in populated areas causes9.
Norway has spoken on explosive weapons in populated areas in multilateral forums, primarily to condemn the harm caused to civilians and call for international action on the issue. In April 2024, Norway hosted the first follow-up conference on the implementation of the Political Declaration. The conference, attended by almost 90 states, multiple UN agencies, the ICRC and some 50 civil society organisations, focused on taking stock of states’ efforts towards national implementation of the Declaration. Norway’s State Secretary for Foreign Affairs spoke about the “destruction and harm caused by explosive weapons” in populated areas, drawing attention to ongoing use, particularly in Gaza, but also in Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Myanmar.10 The widespread impact from the destruction of critical infrastructure, and the lasting physical and mental trauma experienced by many victims was emphasised. The Political Declaration was highlighted as a key tool to improve the protection of and assistance to civilians in armed conflict. To achieve this, Norway emphasised that the Declaration’s commitments must be translated into actions.11 It suggested that endorsing states should consider adapting existing operational, tactical and legal guidance, policy and practice.12 “Education of military personnel on the implications of using explosive weapons in populated areas”, and providing training, resources and guidance, were identified as activities to support this.13 Beyond this, Norway called for efforts towards making the Declaration’s commitments universal14.
Norway has spoken against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas at UN Security Council open debates on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.15 At the May 2022 open debate, Norway welcomed the Political Declaration and said that armed forces must adopt and implement specific policies and practices to avoid civilian harm.16 At the UN Security Council open debate on war in cities on 25 January 2022, Norway said the use of weapons designed for the open battlefield, including heavy explosive weapons, “should be minimised in urban areas.”17 At the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2022, Norway recognised the harm caused by explosive weapons in populated areas, reminding states that civilians represent 90 per cent of casualties recorded from such use. Norway also welcomed the finalised Declaration and announced its intention to sign it.18 At the same meeting in 2024, Norway reiterated the “enormous suffering and widespread civilian harm” caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, including both “the direct and indirect effects which last for decades, even lifetimes.”19 Norway stated that “if fully implemented and broadly endorsed, it can improve the way we conduct military operations, address the needs of victims and ensure compliance with IHL.” It encouraged all states to endorse the declaration20.
Alongside its individual statements, Norway has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. At the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2022, the Nordic Countries, of which Norway is a member, welcomed the finalised Political Declaration. The group also said 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.21 Norway 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, 2013, 2014, and 2016, 2024.22 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 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.23 At the UN Security Council open debate on war in cities 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.24 At the UN General Assembly First Committee debate 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.”25 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.26
At the UN Security Council open debate on war in cities on 25 January 2022, the Group of Friends of the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, of which Norway is a member, called on states to enhance the protection of civilians, including from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and took note of the ongoing consultations to develop a Political Declaration on this subject.27 The Group made similar remarks at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians on 25 May 2022.28 At the same debate in 2023, the Group noted the adoption of the Political Declaration.29 In 2024, the Group highlighted the harm caused by explosive weapons in populated areas across ongoing conflicts, and stressed that “the effective protection of civilians and civilian objects must be made a strategic priority in the planning and conduct of military operations.” To that end, the Political Declaration was identified as providing “practical tools that ensure that protection is real and effective.”30 At the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in May 2023, the Group of Friends of Action on Conflict and Hunger, of which Norway is a member, strongly welcomed the Political Declaration, called on other states to join it, and said that the Oslo Conference will provide a critical opportunity to make progress in implementing the Declaration31.
In 2018 and 2019, Norway 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 harm32.
Norway aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitment to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity, that 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”33.
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, Norway reported that it had disseminated the Political Declaration. Its Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Section for Humanitarian Affairs and the Ministry of Defence’s Section for International Operations and International Law had been responsible for the negotiations. Following the endorsement of the Political Declaration, it had been “disseminated to other relevant sections in the MFA and foreign missions.” In addition, Norway reported that it has nominated a point person responsible for the implementation of the Declaration in its Ministry of Foreign Affairs34.
Norway stated that it would “conduct briefings for Norwegian embassies, for embassies of other states present in Oslo, and for the MoD Ministry of Defence in cooperation with civil society organisations”35.
Norway stated its Ministry of Defence is taking part in meetings and cooperating with other states to identify ways to improve civilian protection in armed conflict more broadly, but that none of these were specific to the Political Declaration36.
On universalisation and implementation Norway highlighted its role hosting the first international conference on the Political Declaration and membership of the Troika, playing an important role in pushing forward national implementation and increasing the number of state endorsers37.
Beyond this, Norway’s survey response emphasised its international efforts to improve civilian protection more generally, stating it is at “the forefront when it comes to protection of civilians in international fora.” Herein, Norway highlighted being one of the first states to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Norwegian Prime Minister leading the Security Council’s meeting on ‘War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings’ during Norway’s Presidency of the Council in January 2022, and its leadership on the Safe School Declaration37.
To view all of Norway’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.