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Liechtenstein

  • State
  • Acknowledged harm
  • Committed to action

Liechtenstein has been a vocal advocate against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA). It has acknowledged the harm caused by the use of EWIPA and committed to action on the issue.

Statements

Liechtenstein issued statements on EWIPA during UN Security Council Open Debates on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in 2010.[1] In August 2013, Liechtenstein called on all parties in conflict to strictly respect the principles of distinction and proportionality and avoid the use of explosive force in densely populated areas.[2]

At the UN General Assembly First Committee General Debate in October 2016, Liechtenstein stated that “The humanitarian impact of these weapons is of great concern to us. It is for this reason that Liechtenstein committed itself at the World Humanitarian Summit to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects by working to prevent civilian harm resulting from the use of these explosive weapons in populated areas. Liechtenstein also strongly supports the Secretary General’s call upon parties to conflicts to refrain from using these weapons and to elaborate a political commitment to this effect.”[3]

Liechtenstein also participated at the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs segment in June 2016, where it called on all parties to conflicts to refrain from using EWIPA.[4]

Liechtenstein has signed onto numerous joint statements condemning EWIPA use, including the following: 

  • As a member of the European Union (EU) at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict (2011)[5]
  • As a member of the EU at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict (2012)[6]
  • As a member of the Group of Friends on the Protection of Civilians (2012)[7]
  • As a member of the EU at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict (2013)[8]
  • The Joint Commitment 123002 to the World Humanitarian Summit led by Austria, with Costa Rica, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Mozambique, Spain, and Zambia (2016)[9]
  • The EU statement at the 72nd UN General Assembly First Committee Conventional Weapons Debate (2017)[10]
  • The EU statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings (2022).[11]

It 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.”[12]

Liechtenstein endorsed the joint statement on EWIPA during 73th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2018. The statement, delivered by Ireland, called attention to the devastating and long-lasting humanitarian impact of the use of EWIPA and urging states to reverse the trend of high levels of civilian harm.[13] Liechtenstein also endorsed the joint statement on EWIPA during the 74th UN General Assembly First Committee in October 2019.[14] The statement, also delivered by Ireland, encouraged states to participate in international efforts to address the impacts of the use of EWIPA on civilians, including by working towards the creation of an international political declaration on this issue.[15]

Liechtenstein participated in the Conference on the Protection of Civilians in Urban Warfare in October 2019 in Vienna.[16]

At the UN Security Council Open Debate War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings on 25 January 2022, the Group of Friends of the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, of which Liechtenstein is a member, called on states to enhance the protection of civilians, including from the use of EWIPA, and took note of the ongoing consultations to develop a political declaration on this subject.[17]

 

[1] Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations (2010). ‘Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians During Armed Conflict Statement’. http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/lie_poc_nov2010_0.pdf. 

[2] INEW (2013). ‘UN Security Council’s Protection of Civilians’ Debate Raises Concerns over Explosive Weapons’. https://www.inew.org/un-security-councils-protection-of-civilians-debate-raises-concerns-over-explosive-weapons/. 

[3] Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, ‘UNGA71 First Committee General Debate. Statement’. https://www.un.org/disarmament/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/6-Oct-Liechtenstein.pdf. 

[4] INEW (2016). ‘Recognition of Harm from Explosive Weapons at the UN over Summer 2016’. https://www.inew.org/un-ewipa-refs-summer-2016/.

[5] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations (2011). ‘EU Statement during the May 2011 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. 2011,http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/eu_poc_11may2011_0.pdf.

[6] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations (2012). ‘EU Statement during the June 2012 Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. http://www.peacewomen.org/security-council/security-council-open-debate-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-june-2012.

[7] Article 36 (2012). ‘Security Council debate highlights harm from explosive weapons in populated area’. https://article36.org/updates/security-council-debate-highlights-harm-from-explosive-weapons-in-populated-area/.

[8] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations (2013). ‘EU Statement during the August 2013 UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict’. http://www.peacewomen.org/sites/default/files/european_union_poc_august_2013_debate_0.pdf. 

[9] Agenda for Humanity Archives, ‘Ireland’. https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholder/127.html.

[10] Permanent Mission of the European Union to the United Nations (2017). ‘UNGA72 First Committee General Debate Statement’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com17/statements/18Oct_EU.pdf. 

[11] Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will (2022). ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians’. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

[12] Agenda for Humanity. ‘Liechtenstein’.  https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholders/commitments/212.html.

[13] Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations (2018). ‘UNGA73 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA)’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com18/statements/25Oct_EWIPA.pdf.

[14] INEW (2019). ‘Seventy-one States call for Action on Impact of Explosive Weapons in Joint Statement to UN General Assembly’. https://www.inew.org/seventy-one-states-call-for-action-on-impact-of-explosive-weapons-in-joint-statement-to-un-general-assembly/.

[15] Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations (2019). ‘UNGA74 First Committee Debate on Conventional Weapons: Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas Delivered by H.E. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, 2019, https://article36.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNGA74-joint-statement-on-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.pdf.

[16] INEW (2019). ‘Vienna Conference Marks Turning Point as States Support Negotiation of an International Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons’. https://www.inew.org/vienna-conference-marks-turning-point-as-states-support-negotiation-of-an-international-political-declaration-on-explosive-weapons/. 

[17] Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will (2022). ‘UN Security Council Debates War in Cities and the Protection of Civilians’. https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16009-un-security-council-debates-war-in-cities-and-the-protection-of-civilians.

 

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