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Senegal

  • State
  • Acknowledged harm
  • Committed to action

Statements

As a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Senegal 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.”[1]

In 2017, Senegal endorsed the communiqué arising from the Maputo Regional Meeting on Protecting Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. The Maputo Communiqué discussed the harms of EWIPA, 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 do the following:

  • “Encourage collection of data and information to increase awareness and enhance knowledge about the impact of explosive weapons on civilians in populated areas;
  • Avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas;
  • Fully support the process that will lead to the negotiation and adoption of an international political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas;
  • 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 facilitate increased involvement as a group of States;
  • Continue and strengthen cooperation and partnerships with international organizations and civil society organizations to draw upon their relevant expertise and support;
  • Channel contributions to the draft international political declaration on the matter, as well as engage in advocacy, at national, regional and international levels.”[2]

Political declaration

Senegal participated in the Vienna Conference on the Protection of Civilians in Urban Warfare in October 2019,[3] as well as in the first two rounds of consultations for a political declaration on the use of EWIPA in 2019[4] and 2020.[5]

During the 2019 consultations, Senegal said that the declaration should commit states to avoid using explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas. It also said the declaration should include encouragement of cooperation among states and/or with civil society to build a community of practice, which includes a better dialogue with UN agencies and international and national humanitarian organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to better understand protection needs. 

Regarding accountability, Senegal and other states called for investigating allegations of the use of EWIPA that is in violation of international humanitarian law, and, where appropriate, for the due prosecution of perpetrators. It also called for the consideration of non-state actors in the declaration.[6]

In its written submission, Senegal suggested that the declaration could take into account the following elements:

  • Stress the imperative to prevent non-state armed groups, including terrorists and criminals, from acquiring and using explosive weapons with wide effects. 
  • Include concrete commitments to reinforce accountability and the fight against impunity; 
  • Avoid the use of high impact explosive weapons in populated areas. 
  • Promote bilateral and regional cooperation through the sharing of experiences, good practices and expertise on reducing the harm caused to civilians by explosive weapons.
  • Engage constructively in international initiatives that can effectively contribute to greater protection of civilians in armed conflict.
  •  Strengthen cooperation and partnership with international organisations and civil society organisations, and build on their expertise and support.[7]

 

[1] Agenda for Humanity. ‘Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).’ https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholder/233.html. 

[2] INEW (2017). ‘Communiqué from Maputo Regional Conference on the Protection of Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. https://www.inew.org/maputo-regional-conference-on-the-protection-of-civlians-from-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas/.

[3] 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/.

[4] Reaching Critical Will (2019). ‘Towards a Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas: States Need to Ensure that Expressed Commitments Translate into Real Impacts on the Ground’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/14451-towards-a-political-declaration-on-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas-states-need-to-ensure-that-expressed-commitments-translate-into-real-impacts-on-the-ground. 

[5] Laura Boillot, Article 36 (2020). ‘More than 70 States Engage in Discussions on Political Declaration’. https://article36.org/updates/more-than-70-states-engage-in-discussions-on-political-declaration/. 

[6] Reaching Critical Will (2019). ‘Towards a Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas: States Need to Ensure that Expressed Commitments Translate into Real Impacts on the Ground’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/14451-towards-a-political-declaration-on-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas-states-need-to-ensure-that-expressed-commitments-translate-into-real-impacts-on-the-ground. 

[7] Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations (2019). ‘Declaration Du Senegal Aux Consultations Informelles Sur Le Projet de Déclaration Politique Sur Les Ewipa’. https://www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/ourrolepolicies/peaceandsecurity/ewipa/Senegal-Written-Submission—18-November-2019.pdf. 

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