San Marino 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. At the Dublin Conference, San Marino recognized the harm from the use of EWIPA and welcomed the declaration as an important achievement.1
San Marino attended the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration.
Statements and positions
At the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration San Marino expressed its commitment to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, and emphasised the importance of multilateral cooperation in these areas to promote and achieve international peace and security, as well as exchanging best practices and lessons learnt. San Marino stated that it does not have a military. The police, which is "responsible for guaranteeing and preserving national order”, does “not carry explosive weapons, nor do they take part in international conflicts.” The state’s constitution “prohibits war as a means of resolving disputes between States.” San Marino endorsed the Political Declaration because it considers it “a fundamental instrument to keep the international community’s attention focused on the devastating and long-lasting humanitarian impact that such weapons are capable of inflicting in populated areas, causing deaths, injuries and the destruction of critical infrastructures, to the detriment of the population.” San Marino emphasised its commitment to the implementation of the Political Declaration. It stated that San Marino is “fully compliant” with the Political Declaration, because it does not have a military, but also set out prohibitions in its national legal system on the possession, use, manufacturing, sale and transfer of explosive materials. San Marino stated it would continue to reflect on the Declaration, and draft new legislation “to fill any gaps that may arise over time”. San Marino shared that it plans to organise a special meeting on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas within its Permanent National Counter-Terrorism Commission to “further raise the awareness of police forces on this issue, to verify the national regulatory coverage of this phenomenon and to simultaneously increase national cooperation on this subject.” San Marino concluded its remarks by underlining that it “firmly believes that international cooperation in these areas is essential, especially in the current historical period, during which armed conflicts continue to expand throughout the world to the detriment of civilians.”2
San Marino has frequently spoken on EWIPA in multilateral forums, primarily to highlight the harms caused by EWIPA. San Marino addressed the use of EWIPA at the UN General Assembly First Committee in October 20163 and 20174 calling for the parties to a conflict to refrain from using EWIPA. More recently, during the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2022, San Marino said that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas now represents the main cause of civilian suffering in armed conflicts, including long-lasting physical harm and psychological trauma, as well as impeded access to vital services such as hospitals and schools.5 During the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023, San Marino similarly highlighted the effects of the use of EWIPA and called on all parties involved in armed conflicts to avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas. It also invited all countries to support and implement the political declaration.6
San Marino has also spoken at a number of UN Security Council open debates. In a statement during the May 2019 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, San Marino expressed support for the UN Secretary-General’s call to avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas.7 In May 2023 it welcomed the declaration at the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict8 and in July 2023 at the UN Security Council open debate on children and armed conflict it said that “the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has resulted in increases in the numbers of deaths, physical injuries and trauma among civilians, including children, who subsequently find themselves unable to return to their daily lives even after a conflict ends.” It encouraged all states to endorse the Political Declaration and to abide by its commitments.9
Alongside its individual statements, San Marino has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on EWIPA. In 2018 and 2019, San Marino 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.10 San Marino has also aligned with several statements delivered by the European Union (EU) on the issue of EWIPA, including during the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023, in which the EU 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.11 At the 2024 UN Security Council open debate on Protection of Civilians, the EU expressed that given the significant impact of the explosive weapons in populated areas its use should be restricted or avoided.12