During consultations on “elements” for a political declaration on the protection of civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, Geneva, 10 February 2020, a number of states called for a draft text to reflect their opinion that the issue be limited to only the “indiscriminate use” of explosive weapons in these contexts. This paper sets out why such an approach would serve to undermine the humanitarian value of a future declaration by reducing it to simply a political reaffirmation of states’ obligation to follow the law, and cautions states against adopting a position that they cannot back up with evidence, that is corrosive of established international law, and that exposes them to awkward political questions.
Read the full briefing here: http://bit.ly/Article36insdiscriminateuse