At a session of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, on October 13, 2022, nongovernmental organizations presented statements on a range of topics, including the arms trade, autonomous weapons, cluster munitions, landmines, nuclear weapons, and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Raluca Muresan of Control Arms delivered the following joint civil society statement on humanitarian disarmament. The statement was endorsed by 131 nongovernmental organizations, including 5 global campaigns, which are listed below.
Raluca Muresan delivers joint civil society statement on humanitarian disarmament at First Committee. Credit: Taniel Yusef, 2022.
The devasting effects of the war in Ukraine have dominated this year’s disarmament news, but there were also great achievements in the world of diplomacy and norm-setting. In the end, 2022 demonstrated both the need for and the possibilities of humanitarian disarmament.
This people-centered approach to governing weapons seeks to prevent and remediate the kind of arms-inflicted human suffering and environmental harm that has been evident every day in Ukraine and in many other conflicts that continue to rage around the world.
In Ukraine, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has caused the majority of the conflict’s more than 15,000 civilian casualties, according to UN figures. It has also leveled cities and towns and led to widespread displacement. Cluster munition attacks on residential neighborhoods have killed and injured civilians at the time of attack and left unexploded submunitions behind.
There has also been documented use of incendiary weapons and antipersonnel landmines. Attacks as well as damaged and abandoned materiel have led to a range of environmental harm. Conventional weapons have flowed into the conflict with a speed and volume that simply has no precedent.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine and its allies, despite condemnation from around the world.
These reports underscore the need for greater efforts on the humanitarian disarmament front. Now more than ever, states must comply with their international obligations with absolute rigor. They must also promote, strengthen, and universalize existing disarmament law and create new law where appropriate.
Despite these challenges, 2022 has also seen moments of hope that show progress is possible in the development and implementation of international norms.
For example, states finalized a new political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas in June, and Ireland will host an endorsement ceremony in November. The document, which goes beyond restating existing international humanitarian law, commits states to strengthen the protection of civilians from the humanitarian consequences of this method of war.
A few days later, the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons demonstrated the viability of that treaty, adopting an action plan with strong steps for implementing its humanitarian obligations, including on victim assistance and environmental remediation.
This month, the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee is expected to adopt the groundbreaking Principles on Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts.
In addition, the Mine Ban Treaty is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its adoption, and the Convention on Cluster Munition has proven its worth by preventing states parties from transferring cluster munitions to their ally Ukraine. Across humanitarian disarmament fora, there has been greater attention to gender perspectives, including the relationship with the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
More work remains to be done. Words on paper need to be turned into practice in conflict zones like Ukraine, Yemen, Ethiopia, and elsewhere. In addition, there have been state threats to civil society involvement in international diplomatic forums, such as during talks on autonomous weapons systems at the Convention on Conventional Weapons and at Open-ended Working Group on Information and Communication Technology. The COVID-19 pandemic also continues to close civil society space. Furthermore, as discussed in last year’s First Committee statement on humanitarian disarmament, more attention should be paid to issues of race and intersectionality.
Despite the tremendous challenges we face, 2022 underscores the value and promise of a humanitarian approach to disarmament, which other speakers will elaborate on in their statements today.
Thank you.
Supporting global campaigns:
Control Arms
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition
International Network on Explosive Weapons
Stop Killer Robots
Other supporting nongovernmental organizations:
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
Action for Women & Children Concern
Action on Armed Violence
African Council of Religious Leaders–Religions for Peace
Airwars
Amnesty International
Amputee Selfhelp Network Uganda
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign on Military Spending
Aotearoa New Zealand Joint Working Group on Landmines and Cluster Munitions
Aotearoa New Zealand Network on Militarisation of Children and Young Persons
Aotearoa New Zealand Network on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
Aotearoa New Zealand Women, Peace and Security Network
Arab Human Security Network
ASMAR Human Security Organization
Assistance Mission for Africa
Associazione Italiana Vittime Civili di Guerra
Aurat Foundation
Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines
Campaign Against Arms Trade
Campaign to Stop Killer Robots Activists Network–Hungary
Campaña Colombiana Contra Minas
Canadian Pugwash Group
Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights
Center for International Affairs Studies, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Center for International Security and Policy, Kazakhstan.
Center for Peace Education
Center for Political Ecology
Centre Delàs d’estudis per la Pau
Centre for Supporters of Human Rights
Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos–México
CIVIC
Committee of 100 in Finland
Conflict and Environment Observatory
CRISPAL-AFRIQUE
Deutsche Friedensgesellschaft–Vereinigte KriegsdienstgegnerInnen (DFG-VK)
Disarmament and Arms Control–South Africa
Droits Humains Sans Frontières
Every Casualty Counts
Facing Finance
Fight For Humanity
Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria)
Fundación Cultura de Paz (Foundation for a Culture of Peace)
FundiPau (Foundation for Peace)
FUNPADEM, Costa Rica (Foundation for Peace and Democracy)
Gemeinsam gegen Landminen–GGL-Austria (Together against Landmines-Austria)
Global Thought Mx
Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic
Humanity & Inclusion
ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand
Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection
Institute of International Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada
Instituto Sou da Paz
InterAgency Institute
International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons
International Committee for Robot Arms Control
Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines
Jesuit Refugee Service
Kingston and St Andrew Action Forum
KNOW NUKES TOKYO
Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva
Kurdistan Organizations’ Network to Abolish Nuclear and Mass Destruction Weapons
Kurdistan without Genocide
Landmines Resource Center Lebanon
Mécanisme pour l’initiative de la Recherche de la Paix et le Développement (MI-RPD)
Medact
Mines Action Canada
Mines Advisory Group
Minnesota Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions/MCBLCM
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre (Australian Province)
Mwatana for Human Rights
Namibia NGO Forum Trust (NANGOF Trust)
Naturefriends Greece
Nepal Campaign to Ban Landmines
Noble Delta Women for Peace and Development International
Nonviolence International
Nonviolence International Canada
Norwegian Peoples Aid
Norwegian Peace Association
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Nuclear Disarmament Group, Scottish Parliament
Organization Against Weapons of Mass Destruction in Kurdistan
Organization of the Justice Campaign
PAX
Pax Christi-Asia Pacific
Pax Christi Ireland
Pax Christi Philippines
Pax Christi Vlaanderen.
Peace Boat
Peace Angel Project
Peace Movement Aotearoa
Peoples Federation for National Peace and Development (PEFENAP)
Plataforma CIPÓ (Brazil)
Project Ploughshares
PROTECTION
PSALM: Proud Students Against Landmines and Cluster Bombs
Reverse the Trend
SafeGround
Science for Peace, University of Toronto
Security Research and Information Centre
Seguridad Humana en América Latina y el Caribe (SEHLAC)
Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) of the Jesuits
Soka Gakkai International
Somali Human Rights Association (SOHRA)
South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms (SSANSA)
Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD)
Survivors Recovery and Rehabilitation Organization
Sustainable Peace and Development Organization
Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (Svenska Freds- och Skiljedomsföreningen)
Syrian Network for Human Rights
Transcend Philipinas
transform.at
Uganda Landmine Survivors Association
United Against Inhumanity
United Nations Association of Sweden
United Nations Association–UK
Virtual Planet Africa
West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions
White Helmets
Women for Peace and Democracy Nepal
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
At a session of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, on October 13, 2022, nongovernmental organizations presented statements on a range of topics, including the arms trade, autonomous weapons, cluster munitions, landmines, nuclear weapons, and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Raluca Muresan of Control Arms delivered the following joint civil society statement on humanitarian disarmament. The statement was endorsed by 131 nongovernmental organizations, including 5 global campaigns, which are listed below.
The devasting effects of the war in Ukraine have dominated this year’s disarmament news, but there were also great achievements in the world of diplomacy and norm-setting. In the end, 2022 demonstrated both the need for and the possibilities of humanitarian disarmament.
This people-centered approach to governing weapons seeks to prevent and remediate the kind of arms-inflicted human suffering and environmental harm that has been evident every day in Ukraine and in many other conflicts that continue to rage around the world.
In Ukraine, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has caused the majority of the conflict’s more than 15,000 civilian casualties, according to UN figures. It has also leveled cities and towns and led to widespread displacement. Cluster munition attacks on residential neighborhoods have killed and injured civilians at the time of attack and left unexploded submunitions behind.
There has also been documented use of incendiary weapons and antipersonnel landmines. Attacks as well as damaged and abandoned materiel have led to a range of environmental harm. Conventional weapons have flowed into the conflict with a speed and volume that simply has no precedent.
Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine and its allies, despite condemnation from around the world.
These reports underscore the need for greater efforts on the humanitarian disarmament front. Now more than ever, states must comply with their international obligations with absolute rigor. They must also promote, strengthen, and universalize existing disarmament law and create new law where appropriate.
Despite these challenges, 2022 has also seen moments of hope that show progress is possible in the development and implementation of international norms.
For example, states finalized a new political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas in June, and Ireland will host an endorsement ceremony in November. The document, which goes beyond restating existing international humanitarian law, commits states to strengthen the protection of civilians from the humanitarian consequences of this method of war.
A few days later, the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons demonstrated the viability of that treaty, adopting an action plan with strong steps for implementing its humanitarian obligations, including on victim assistance and environmental remediation.
This month, the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee is expected to adopt the groundbreaking Principles on Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts.
In addition, the Mine Ban Treaty is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its adoption, and the Convention on Cluster Munition has proven its worth by preventing states parties from transferring cluster munitions to their ally Ukraine. Across humanitarian disarmament fora, there has been greater attention to gender perspectives, including the relationship with the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda.
More work remains to be done. Words on paper need to be turned into practice in conflict zones like Ukraine, Yemen, Ethiopia, and elsewhere. In addition, there have been state threats to civil society involvement in international diplomatic forums, such as during talks on autonomous weapons systems at the Convention on Conventional Weapons and at Open-ended Working Group on Information and Communication Technology. The COVID-19 pandemic also continues to close civil society space. Furthermore, as discussed in last year’s First Committee statement on humanitarian disarmament, more attention should be paid to issues of race and intersectionality.
Despite the tremendous challenges we face, 2022 underscores the value and promise of a humanitarian approach to disarmament, which other speakers will elaborate on in their statements today.
Thank you.
Supporting global campaigns:
Other supporting nongovernmental organizations:
Share this:
Like this: