Togo 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. Togo participated in the Vienna Conference on the Protection of Civilians in Urban Warfare in October 2019, 1 as well as in the consultations towards a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas in 2020 where, at the fourth round of consultations in April 2022, Togo expressed support for the Political Declaration and noted with satisfaction that the draft takes into account states’ responsibility in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance. 2
Statements and positions
Togo 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. At San Jose, it highlighted the regional workshop organised by UNIDIR and held in Lomé in 2024. 3
Togo has spoken on the issue of explosive weapons at the United Nations, notably during the June 2012 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict where it expressed concern at the high number of civilians killed by explosive weapons in armed conflict. 4 Alongside its individual statements, Togo has also aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2017, Togo endorsed the communiqué arising from the Maputo Regional Meeting on Protecting Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. 5 The Maputo Communiqué discussed the harms of explosive weapons in populated areas, the role of African states in working against it, and the need to create a Political Declaration on the matter. The 19 African states present agreed to work independently and cooperatively to, inter alia: avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas; encourage collection of data and information; fully support the process towards adoption of an international Political Declaration; promote bilateral and regional cooperation through sharing experiences, good practices and expertise on reducing the harm caused by explosive weapons to civilians; constructively engage in discussions and initiatives at international level that could effectively provide greater protection to civilians in armed conflicts; foster deeper and further engagement from African States; and strengthen cooperation and partnerships with international organizations and civil society organisations to draw upon their relevant expertise and support.
As a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Togo aligned with World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to “Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity” in May 2016, including 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.” 6 At the Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 2024, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned the use of explosive weapons in Gaza and Lebanon, and drew attention to the humanitarian impact, including civilian deaths and injuries, destruction of infrastructure, 39 million tons of rubble and unexploded ordinances buried under the debris. 7