On average, 90% of victims of attacks using explosive weapons in populated areas are civilians.

 



An unexploded bomb sits ominously on the floor of a kitchen in Ajdabiya, Libya. Armed conflicts are increasingly fought in population centres. This urbanization of armed conflict has resulted in devastating and well documented impacts on civilians. This is often due to the use of weapons systems that are designed for traditional open battlefields. A leading concern is the use in populated areas of explosive weapons with wide-area impacts. These include weapon systems, munitions and tactics used by States and non-State actors, which can be expected to result in a high proportion of incidental civilian harm if employed in areas where there is a concentration of civilians. In November 2022, more than 80 States endorsed the Political Declaration on the Protection ofCivilians from the Use of ExplosiveWeapons in Populated Areas. TheDeclaration is the product of nearly seven years of discussions and negotiations, led by Austria and Ireland with the support of non-governmental organizations. The United Nations Secretary-General has supported those efforts since 2009, and notably through his Agenda for Disarmament.

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