Switzerland 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 endorsing conference in Dublin, Switzerland noted that the principal purpose of IHL – to limit the effects of armed conflict – must always guide states in their actions and expressed hope that improved data collection and sharing will help to avoid future civilian harm. 1
Switzerland 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. Early in the consultation process, Switzerland emphasised that the declaration should stress that existing IHL provides a sufficient framework to address the problem of explosive weapons in populated areas and that the objective of the declaration should be to strengthen International Humanitarian Law (IHL). 2 Switzerland also said that the declaration should address the challenges posed by the urbanisation of violence, where civilians and combatants intermingle, noting that it is often not possible to choose to conduct military operations outside this setting. 3 In addition, it supported a call for the adoption and review of policies and practices—including in military doctrines, tactical instructions, rules of engagement, the testing and development of new weapons, education, and other measures—to enhance protection of civilians and compliance with IHL, and called for investigating allegations of use of explosive weapons in populated areas in violation of IHL, and, where appropriate, for the due prosecution of perpetrators. 4
As consultations progressed, Switzerland echoed these positions, whilst adding that it believed it would be appropriate to focus the Political Declaration on the conduct of hostilities in urban areas rather than focus on a particular system of weapons. 5 It also said that the Declaration should better reflect the role of non-state armed groups and strongly urged that the Declaration not focus only on clear violations of IHL. 6 It opposed the use of the qualifier ‘can’ in the title and text, 7 and encouraged a broad approach to delineating the humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons in populated areas, including through reflecting reverberating effects. 8 It encouraged the inclusion of a commitment on accountability on the Declaration, and also called for an open, transparent, and inclusive follow-up process, stressed the importance of ensuring such a process is adequate to meet the needs of the declaration. 9
Switzerland attended the first international implementation conference on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024, and the second implementation conference in San Jose, Costa Rica in November 2025.
Statements and positions
Switzerland has on several occasions spoken on explosive weapons in populated areas in multilateral forums. In its opening statement at the San Jose follow-up conference, Switzerland underlined the importance of international humanitarian law as well as the urgent need to improve protection of civilians in urban warfare and emphasised the importance of international cooperation and the sharing of lessons learned. 10 At the Oslo conference the year prior, Switzerland made a short statement during the session on Military Policies and Practices. It highlighted three areas of activities in which the Swiss Armed Forces has been focusing its implementation work, namely training, reviewing and adapting its practices and exchanges of good practices. 11
Switzerland has also raised the issue of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas at the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, describing it in 2010 a “major source of suffering for civilians” 12 and more recently, in 2023, calling on states to endorse the Political Declaration. 13 Similarly, Switzerland has spoken on the use of explosive weapons use in populated areas at the UN General Assembly First Committee, including to welcome the final text of the Political Declaration in 2022, and in 2025 to call on all states to endorse and implement it. 14 At First Committee in 2024, Switzerland noted the long-term “intergenerational” impacts of explosive weapons (including on sustainable development), said that the Political Declaration is an “important instrument” towards better protection of civilians, and highlighted the importance of implementation and sharing of good-practices. 15 During the Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 2024, Switzerland expressed concern about the ongoing use of explosive weapons in populated areas. 16
Alongside its individual statements, Switzerland has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. As a member of the Group of Friends on Protection of Civilians, Switzerland 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. 17 At the 2024 debate, 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”, 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. 18
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 Switzerland is also 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 Declaration. 19 At the 2025 open debate 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”. 20
As part of the Human Security Network, Switzerland endorsed two statements addressing the risk of explosive weapons in populated areas at the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict in 2013 21 and 2014. 22 The statements called for data collection and to refrain from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Switzerland also aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ 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.” 23 In 2018 and 2019, Switzerland also 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. 24
Implementation of the Political Declaration
In February 2024, INEW and EWM conducted a survey into endorser states' national efforts to disseminate and implement the Political Declaration; and in May 2025 EWM conducted a second survey. 25 Responding to the surveys, Switzerland reported that it has disseminated the Political Declaration to various governmental departments and committees, the Government and Parliament, including its Foreign Affairs and Security Committees, and governmental departments responsible for Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Justice, and the Swiss Interdepartmental Committee for International Humanitarian Law (ICIHL). 24 Switzerland takes a whole-of-government approach to implementation: it has established multiple focal points for the Declaration’s implementation across its Ministry of Defence (DDPS), Armed Forces, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formalised through an internal note that allocates responsibility for each paragraph of the Declaration. These focal points include the Deputy Head for International Law and Law of Armed Conflict in the Armed Forces Staff, and a staffer in the Peace and Human Rights Division, respectively. 25
Switzerland also emphasised its work to review and adapt its practices in line with the Declaration’s commitments. It has conducted a round of internal consultations and questions through a survey within the Armed Forces to assess existing practices in relation to the Declaration’s operational commitments in sections 3 and 4, as well as reviewed its Armed Forces’ doctrinal documents and regulations concerning the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. 26 The Declaration is now a standing item on the ICIHL’s agenda, and several doctrinal documents and regulations now including references to the Declaration and its commitments. Switzerland has integrated EWIPA considerations into its compulsory weapons-review process since 2018, and at the 34th International Red Cross Conference pledged to adopt an “avoidance policy” under which explosive weapons with wide-area effects should not be used in populated areas unless sufficient mitigation measures are taken to reduce their area effects and civilian harm. The Swiss Armed Forces have subsequently updated operational regulations governing the 81mm mortar to reflect these requirements. 27 In terms of civilian harm and casualty-tracking, Switzerland has conducted a whole-of-government implementation review, mapping existing data-management practices across ministries and the Armed Forces. The findings are informing policy reforms and coordination mechanisms for managing civilian harm data. Switzerland also hosted a dedicated 2024 workshop on conducting legal reviews of weapons and operations. 28
Switzerland also reported that it has integrated EWIPA considerations into officer education, legal adviser courses, and urban warfare modules. It has conducted briefings, workshops and trainings on the content of the Political Declaration, including a comprehensive briefing for its Joint Doctrine Board, responsible for approving all military doctrinal documents and regulations; as well as providing IHL trainers and legal advisors in the armed forces with urban warfare training. EWIPA and challenges with urban warfare have also been taught at the Swiss Military Academy since 2018. 29
Beyond this, Switzerland emphasised its efforts to promote the issue and encourage universalisation in multilateral fora, the priority it has given to civilian protection at the UN Security Council, and its support for organisations focused on the promotion of IHL, victim assistance, and data collection on impact. 30