Cyprus 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 November 2022, Cyprus shared the view that explosive weapons have a devastating impact on civilians and civilian objects around the world, and that their use in populated areas has been shown to cause long-term humanitarian harm. Cyprus also said that reaffirmation of the obligations of all parties in armed conflict under applicable international law is a crucial element of the Declaration.1
Statements and positions
Cyprus has repeatedly aligned with other states to deliver statements on explosive weapons in populated areas. As a member of the European Union (EU), Cyprus 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 compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This includes at several UN Security Council open debates on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict2 and at the General Debate of UN General Assembly First Committee3, 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.4 The EU, with Cyprus 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.
Cyprus 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.”5 In 2018 and 2019, Germany joined some 50 and 71 states respectively to endorse joint statements 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 impact of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and urging states to reverse the trend of high levels of civilian harm.6