Ukraine has not yet endorsed the Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. It participated in the negotiations towards a Political Declaration: at the fourth round of consultations in April 2022, Ukraine condemned the use of EWIPA by Russia against Ukraine and suggested adding in the declaration language from the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.1
Statements and positions
Ukraine has spoken on explosive weapons in populated areas in multilateral forums, often referencing its own experience. During the 2022 UN General Assembly First Committee, Ukraine referenced the harmful use of explosive weapons in populated areas2, and in 2023 3 and 2024 4 highlighted the humanitarian consequences of explosive weapon use by Russian forces in Ukraine. During the January 2016 Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians, Ukraine expressed concern about the humanitarian impact of EWIPA, and called for stricter norms to protect civilians.”5
Alongside its individual statements, Ukraine has on several occasions aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2018 and 2019, Ukraine 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 harm6. As a member of the Group of Friends on Protection of Civilians, Germany 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.7 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.”8
Ukraine also aligned with the statement delivered by the European Union (EU) 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.9 At the 2024 UN Security Council open debate on Protection of Civilians, the EU, which Ukraine aligned itself with, expressed that given the significant impact of the explosive weapons in populated areas its use should be restricted or avoided.10