The Arms Trade Treaty and the Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas developed through separate processes, but they share a preventive aim and much of the same membership: 81 ATT States Parties and Signatories have also endorsed the Declaration. This chapter argues that the well-documented patterns of civilian harm from explosive weapons in towns and cities should inform the risk assessments States must carry out under Article 7 of the Treaty. It also sets out practical steps to bring implementation of the two instruments closer together.
This chapter was first published as Chapter 1 of the ATT Monitor 2026 report by the Control Arms Secretariat and is reproduced with permission. The full chapter is available in the downloadable PDF of this issue of Fragments.