Iceland 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. As a member of the Nordic countries, Iceland welcomed the finalized Declaration at the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2022, noting that the Declaration is a positive outcome at a time of increased pressure within the international security environment, as well as a good sign that the international community can still work together towards tangible humanitarian goals. 1
Statements and positions
Iceland has on a number of occasions spoken on explosive weapons in populated areas in multilateral forums. In a statement during the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2020, Iceland noted efforts to address explosive weapons in populated areas were “another important stride in the right direction” and expressed its support. 2 Iceland reiterated this in 2021 during the UN General Assembly First Committee, drawing attention to the progress being made. 3
Alongside its individual statements, Iceland has repeatedly aligned with other states on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas. In 2018 and 2019, Iceland 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. 4
Iceland has also signed onto joint statements by the Nordic Group at the UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict that have repeatedly drawn attention to the importance of adhering to IHL and avoiding the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. 5 In these statements, the Nordic Group has frequently highlighted the use of explosive weapons in populated areas as an issue that requires immediate attention, including through robust data collection on its impact and the sharing of policies and practices to prevent the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. The Group’s statement to the open debate on protection of civilians in 2024, delivered by Denmark, highlighted the widespread and reverberating harm caused by the destruction of critical infrastructure, welcomed initiatives to provide a more nuanced understanding of how patterns and types of harm affect different groups, identified the Political Declaration as a concrete tool to minimise such harm effectively. 6 At the UN General Assembly First Committee debate in 2025, the Group emphasised “the great risks to civilians and civilian infrastructure” posed by use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and encouraged states to endorse the Political Declaration. 7 Expressing similar concerns at First Committee in 2024, the Group underlined the key role of the Political Declaration and said that “if fully implemented, it can improve the way we conduct military operations and ensure compliance with IHL”. 8 At the 2022 UN Security Council open debate on War in Cities, the Nordic Countries jointly called on all parties to conflict to prevent civilian harm resulting from use of explosive weapons in populated areas, especially those with wide area effects. 9
Iceland has also aligned with several statements delivered by the European Union (EU) on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas, including the 2024 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians where it expressed deep concern about the use and humanitarian consequences of explosive weapons in populated areas ‘which has significant civilian impact and should thus be restricted and avoided’, 10 and 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. 11 Iceland has also aligned with EU statements at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee, including in 2025 where the EU recalled the “important adoption” of the Political Declaration “and its aim to reduce harm and strengthen the protection of civilians”. 12 In addition, Iceland aligned with the World Humanitarian Summit Core Commitments to ‘Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity’ 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.” 13
Implementation of the Political Declaration
In February 2024, INEW and EWM conducted a survey into endorser states' national efforts to disseminate and implement the Political Declaration; and in May 2025 EWM conducted a second survey. 14 Responding in 2025, Iceland reported that, due to the absence of national armed forces, coordination of implementation of the Political Declaration was centralised within its Ministry of Foreign Affairs where the Director for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation had been appointed as the focal point. 15