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

Statements

Namibia endorsed the Ireland-led joint statement during the 74th United Nations General Assembly First Committee in 2019.[1] The statement 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.[2]

Political declaration

Namibia participated in the March 2021 consultations for a political declaration on the use of EWIPA in Geneva.[3] It called for an outright commitment to stop the use of EWIPA. Namibia argued that provisions on victim assistance should be strengthened, by better defining victim assistance, what assistance is needed, and taking into account families and others affected. 

Namibia was present in the second round of consultations in Geneva in 10 February 2020,[4] as well as in the Conference on the Protection of Civilians in Urban Warfare held in Vienna in October 2019.[5]

[1] 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/.

[2] Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations (2019). ‘UNGA74 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA)’. https://article36.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNGA74-joint-statement-on-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.pdf.

[3] Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will (2021). ‘Report on the March 2021 Consultations on a Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/15213-report-on-the-march-2021-consultations-on-a-political-declaration-on-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.

[4] INEW (2020). ‘More than 70 States Engage in Discussions on Political Declaration’. https://www.inew.org/more-than-70-states-engage-in-discussions-on-political-declaration/.

[5] 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/.