Côte d’Ivoire was not directly involved in the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. It was, however, among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022. At the signing ceremony in Dublin in 2022, Côte d’Ivoire said that the declaration is a reminder of obligations to comply with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and to protect civilians. It also stressed that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is not purely a military and humanitarian issue, but also has effects on sustainable development.1
Statements and priorities
In statements to the United Nations General Assembly First Committee in 2012, 2017, 2019, and 2020, Côte d’Ivoire has reiterated its commitment to the protection of civilians in conflict.2 As a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Afghanistan 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.”3 The Group of Friends on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, of which Côte d’Ivoire is a memer, noted the adoption of the Political Declaration at the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict on 23 May 2023.4