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Sweden

HAS ENDORSED THE POLITICAL DECLARATION

Sweden 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. Sweden 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. During the Dublin Conference in November 2022, Sweden reiterated its commitment and said that the political declaration will strengthen the respect for and implementation of existing International Humanitarian Law (IHL) globally and help to uphold the rules and principles that states are bound by. 1 

Early in the consultation process Sweden emphasised that the declaration should stress that the existing IHL provides a sufficient framework to address the problem of EWIPA, and that the objective of the declaration should be to strengthen IHL. 2 This was a repeated theme: at the 2020 consultation meeting, Sweden echoed Switzerland’s statement that the political declaration should condemn only clear violations of IHL 3 and during the 2021 consultations it raised concerns that the wording of the draft text, specifically the use of the word “restrict” in relation to the use of EWIPA, arguing it could be interpreted as requiring states to take precautions that go beyond existing IHL. 4 At the fourth round of consultations in April 2022, Sweden said the text had many improvements but warned against adopting a declaration that gives the impression of seeking to create new rules and norms. It stressed that there is not a lack of humanitarian law provisions but rather lack of compliance with IHL. 5 Sweden also suggested that the follow-up process/review mechanism referenced in the text must be voluntary. Sweden attended the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024.

Statements and positions

Sweden has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on EWIPA. As a member of the European Union (EU), Sweden has 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 and welcoming the Political Declaration. This includes at several UN Security Council open debates on the protection of civilians in armed conflict 6, 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’7 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 8 and at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee 9

Sweden 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.” 10

Sweden has also signed onto joint statements by the Nordic Group at the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict that have repeatedly drawn attention to the importance of adhering to IHL and avoiding the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. 11 In these statements, the Nordic Group has frequently 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 to the open debate on protection of civilians in 2024, delivered by Denmark, highlighted the widespread and reverberating harm caused by the destruction of critical infrastructure, welcomed initiatives to provide a more nuanced understanding of how patterns and types of harm affect different groups, identified the Political Declaration as a concrete tool to minimise such harm effectively. 12 At the UN General Assembly First Committee debate in 2025, the Group emphasised “the great risks to civilians and civilian infrastructure” posed by use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and encouraged states to endorse the Political Declaration. 13 Expressing similar concerns at First Committee in 2024, the Group underlined the key role of the Political Declaration and said that “if fully implemented, it can improve the way we conduct military operations and ensure compliance with IHL”. 14 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. 15 

As a member of the Group of Friends on Protection of Civilians, Sweden has supported statements at the UN Security Council stressing the importance of respecting IHL and the need to enhance the protection of civilians from the effects of explosive weapons in populated areas. At the 2024 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, 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.” 16 To that end, the Political Declaration was identified as providing “practical tools that ensure that protection is real and effective”, a sentiment the Group echoed at the 2025 debate where it flagged the Political Declaration as a tool that “plays a critical role in the protection of civilians” and encouraged states to consider endorsing. 17 The Group of Friends of Action on Conflict and Hunger, of which Sweden is also a member, in 2023 also 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 Declaration. 18 In 2025, the Group said that “overly permissive interpretations of the rules of international humanitarian law are undermining their key objective, that is, the protection of civilians and civilian objects” and, referencing Gaza, decried the “immense civilian harm has been caused by Israel’s indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas and its obstruction of life-saving aid”. In closing, it urged states to “work for the universal endorsement and implementation of the Political Declaration”. 19

In 2018 and 2019, Sweden 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. 20 

  1. ‘Statement at the High-Level Conference to adopt the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA)’. Government Offices of Sweden. 18 November 2022. https://www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/ourrolepolicies/peaceandsecurity/ewipa/Sweden.pdf  

  1. Acheson, R. 2020. ‘Impacts, not intentionality: the imperative of focusing on the effects of explosive weapons in a Political Declaration’. Reaching Critical Will. 14 February 2020. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/14658-impacts-not-intentionality-the-imperative-of-focusing-on-the-effects-of-explosive-weapons-in-a-political-declaration.  

  1. ‘Towards a Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas: States Need to Ensure that Expressed Commitments Translate into Real Impacts on the Ground’. Reaching Critical Will. 2019.  https://reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/14451-towards-a-political-declaration-on-the-use-of-explosive-wepons-in-populated-areas-states-need-to-ensure-that-expressed-commitments-translate-into-real-impacts-on-the-ground;  ‘Written Comments’. Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations. March 2020.  https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/ewipa/declaration/documents/Sweden-March2020.pdf.   

  1. Rafferty, J., Geyer, K., Acheson, R., 2021. ‘Report on the March 2021 consultations on a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas’. Reaching Critical Will. 21 March 2021. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/15213-report-on-the-march-2021-consultations-on-a-political-declaration-on-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.  

  1. Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. ‘Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas – Political Declaration Consultations, Day 1 Afternoon’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPllKWRMlNg; Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. ‘Watch Back: Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas – Political Declaration Consultations, Day 2’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK6v1iIZG8A; ‘Swedish comments to the draft declaration’. Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations. 3 March 2021. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/ewipa/declaration/statements/3March_Sweden.pdf   ​  

  1. ‘EU Statement during the May 2011 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 10 May 2011.  http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/eu_poc_11may2011_0.pdf; ‘EU Statement during the June 2012 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 25 June 2012. http://www.peacewomen.org/security-council/security-council-open-debate-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-june-2012/; ‘EU Statement during the August 2013 UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 19 August 2013. http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/european_union_poc_august_2013_debate_0.pdf. 

  2. ‘EU Statement - UN Security Council: Protection of Civilians’, 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.

  3. ‘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.

  4. ‘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; ‘EU Statement to the UN General Assembly 78th Session First Committee Thematic Discussion on Conventional Weapons’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 23 October 2023. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com23/statements/23Oct_EU.pdf; ‘EU Statement to the UN General Assembly 77th Session First Committee Thematic Discussion on Conventional Weapons’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 20 October 2022. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com22/statements/20Oct_EU.pdf; ‘EU Statement to the UN General Assembly 76th Session First Committee Thematic Discussion on Conventional Weapons’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 4 October 2021. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com21/statements/4Oct_EU.pdf; ‘EU Statement to the UN General Assembly 75th Session First Committee Thematic Discussion on Conventional Weapons’. Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations. 9 October 2020. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com20/statements/9Oct_EU.pdf.

  5. Agenda for Humanity. ‘Sweden’.  https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholder/261.html.

  6. See, for example: United Nations Security Council. S/PV.7019. 19 August 2013.  https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7019; United Nations Security Council. S/PV.7109. 12 February 2014. https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7109; United Nations Security Council. S/PV.7606. 19 January 2016. https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.7606.

  7. United Nations Security Council S/PV.9632 (Resumption 1). 21 May 2024. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/pro/n24/140/54/pdf/n2414054.pdf?token=gnNZ75yWJDSvjAuWNa&fe=true.  

  8. ‘Statement on behalf of the Nordic countries UNGA80 First Committee – General Debate 8 October 2025’. 8 October 2025. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com25/statements/8Oct_Nordic.pdf.

  9. ‘Nordic Statement October 2024: UNGA 79 First Committee - General Debate,’ https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com24/statements/7Oct_Nordic.pdf.

  10. Acheson, R. 2022. ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians.’ Reaching Critical Will, 28 January 2022. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

  11. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.9632 (Resumption 1). 21 May 2024.  https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/pro/n24/140/54/pdf/n2414054.pdf.

  12. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.9921. 22 May 2025. https://docs.un.org/en/S/PV.9921.

  13. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.9327. 23 May 2023. https://undocs.org/en/S/PV.9327(Resumption1).

  14. United Nations Security Council. S/PV.9921 (Resumption 1) 22 May 2025. https://docs.un.org/en/S/PV.9921%20(Resumption%201).

  15. ‘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/. 

 

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