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Zambia

HAS NOT ENDORSED THE POLITICAL DECLARATION

Zambia 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

In 2017, Zambia endorsed the communiqué arising from the Maputo Regional Meeting on Protecting Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas.1 The Maputo Communiqué discussed the harms of explosive weapons in populated areas, the role of African states in working against it, and the need to create a Political Declaration on the matter. The 19 African states present agreed to work independently and cooperatively to, inter alia: avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas; encourage collection of data and information; fully support the process towards adoption of an international Political Declaration; promote bilateral and regional cooperation through sharing experiences, good practices and expertise on reducing the harm caused by explosive weapons to civilians; constructively engage in discussions and initiatives at international level that could effectively provide greater protection to civilians in armed conflicts; foster deeper and further engagement from African States; and strengthen cooperation and partnerships with international organizations and civil society organisations to draw upon their relevant expertise and support.

In 2018 and 2019, Zambia 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 2. Zambia also aligned with the Joint Commitment 123002 to the World Humanitarian Summit led by Austria in May 2016, where it pledged to raise awareness about the challenges posed to civilians by the use of explosive weapons with wide are effects in populated areas.3

  1. ‘Communiqué from Maputo Regional Conference on the Protection of Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’. INEW. 28 November 2017. Available from: https://www.inew.org/maputo-regional-conference-on-the-protection-of-civlians-from-the-use-of-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas/.
  2. ‘UNGA73 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (explosive weapons in populated areas)’. Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. 25 October 2018. https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com18/statements/25Oct_explosive weapons in populated areas.pdf; ‘UNGA74 First Committee Joint Statement on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas’. Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations. 24 October 2019. Available from: https://article36.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNGA74-joint-statement-on-explosive-weapons-in-populated-areas.pdf; ‘Seventy-one States call for Action on Impact of Explosive Weapons in Joint Statement to UN General Assembly’. International Network on Explosive Weapons. October 2019. Available from: https://www.inew.org/seventy-one-states-call-for-action-on-impact-of-explosive-weapons-in-joint-statement-to-un-general-assembly/.
  3. ‘Agenda for Humanity’. https://agendaforhumanity.org/stakeholders/commitments/123.html#495. 

Other State Positions