Monaco was not directly involved in the process to develop a Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, though it attended the 2020 consultation in Geneva.1 It was, however, among the first group of states to endorse the Political Declaration in Dublin in November 2022.
Monaco attended the first international follow-up conference on the Political Declaration in Oslo, Norway in April 2024.
Statements and positions
In 2018 and 2019, Monaco 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 harm2.
Monaco 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.”3
Monaco has also aligned itself with several statements delivered by the European Union (EU) on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas, most recently during the UN General Assembly First Committee in 2023, in which the EU welcomed the Political Declaration and highlighted the importance of its adoption. The EU also highlighted the work ahead for implementing the Declaration’s commitments, including at the 2024 Oslo Conference.4 At the 2024 UN Security Council open debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, the EU stated that given the significant impact of the explosive weapons in populated areas its use should be restricted or avoided.5