Paraguay 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
Paraguay has spoken on explosive weapons in populated areas in multilateral forums. During the June 2016 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians expressed support for the UN Secretary-General’s call on states to develop a Political Declaration on to explosive weapons in populated areas.1 More recently, during the May 2019 UN Security Council open debate on the protection of civilians, Paraguay called on states to participate in the development of a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.”2
Alongside its individual statements, Paraguay has also aligned with other states on the issue of explosive weapons in populated areas. With 22 other Latin American and Caribbean states, Paraguay participated in the Santiago Regional Meeting on Protecting Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in 2018. The meeting produced the Santiago Communiqué, in which the participating states agreed to take further action on the issue. This included: avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas; act to enhance compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian objects; fully support the process that will lead to the negotiation and adoption of an international political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas; encourage collection of data; promote bilateral and regional cooperation through sharing experiences, good practices and expertise; constructively engage in discussions and initiatives at the international level that could effectively provide greater protection to civilians in armed conflicts; strengthen cooperation and partnerships with international organisations and civil society organisations to draw upon their relevant expertise and support.3