Haiti has acknowledged the harm caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) and committed to take action on this issue. 

Statements

Along with 22 other Latin American and Caribbean states, Haiti participated in the Santiago Regional Meeting on Protecting Civilians from the Use of EWIPA in 2018. The meeting produced the Santiago Communiqué, in which the participating states agreed to take further action on the issue, including, but not limited to, 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;
• Act to enhance compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian objects, including school and hospitals during armed conflict and to contribute to alleviating humanitarian harm resulting from the effects of explosive weapons in populated areas
• Develop effective measures to prevent attacks in contravention of applicable international law against hospitals and schools and protected persons in relation to them;
• 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 the Latin American and Caribbean 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.”

[1] INEW (2018). ‘Santiago Communiqué’. https://www.inew.org/communique-from-regional-meeting-on-protecting-civilians-from-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas-santiago-chile/.