Gabon has not yet endorsed the Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. It did not actively participate in the negotiations towards a Political Declaration.
Statements and positions
Gabon has spoken in multilateral forums on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas, both in its individual capacity and aligned with other states. During the May 2011 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, Gabon expressed concern over the increasing use of explosive munitions in heavily populated areas.1 At the UN Security Council Open Debate War in Cities: Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings on 25 January 2022, Gabon argued that while there are no specific rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for urban areas, and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is not expressly prohibited, one can question the legality of such use in light of the main rules of IHL. It argued that there is “no doubt that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas can hardly be reconciled with respect for IHL.” Gabon also supported the call on all parties to armed conflict to avoid the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and welcomed the development of a Political Declaration on this subject.2
As a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Gabon 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