Bulgaria was actively involved in the later stages of the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and was among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022. At the final round of consultations in June 2022, Bulgaria welcomed the draft as being a good compromise that allows states to apply the highest possible standards when implementing International Humanitarian Law (IHL). It noted, however, that some questions still remain, such as how to bring in practical terms all parties to an armed conflict into the pattern of implementation of and complying with IHL norms and commitments.1
During the signing ceremony in Dublin in November 2022, Bulgaria acknowledged the merit of the declaration in addressing the humanitarian consequences from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and in strengthening the protection of civilians. It said that it agreed with others that “introducing inappropriate and impracticable restrictions on lawful use of military capabilities would not address the core challenge and would leave excessive room for the non-IHL compliant actors to continue their abuse.” Bulgaria encouraged cooperation among states and among their armed forces with respect to the identification, development, and exchange of good practices.2 At the UN Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict on 5 July 2023, Bulgaria urged parties to refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas and to endorse the Political Declaration.3
Statements and positions
Alongside its individual statements, Bulgaria has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. In October 2018, Bulgaria was one of 50 states to endorse a joint statement on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas at the UN General Assembly First Committee, calling attention to the devastating and long-lasting humanitarian impacts of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and urging states to reverse the trend of high levels of civilian harm4, and the following year endorsed a similar statement to First Committee that encouraged states to participate in the creation of an international Political Declaration.5
As a member of the European Union (EU), Bulgaria has signed onto numerous joint statements condemning the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and the harms it causes to civilians and civilian objects, as well as calling for greater IHL compliance. This includes at several UN Security Council open debates on the protection of civilians in armed conflict6 and at the General Debate of UN General Assembly First Committee7, as well as at the 2022 UN Security Council open debate on war in cities where the EU expressed concern over the indiscriminate use of explosive weapons in populated areas, including near hospitals, schools, and universities.8 The EU, with Bulgaria signing on, has also repeatedly welcomed the Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas – at the 2022 Dublin Conference, the 2022 and 2023 UN General Assembly First Committee (where it highlighted the work ahead for implementing the declaration’s commitments), and at the 2023 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians. Bulgaria also aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ as an EU member state 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.”9