Civil Society Speaks Out on Need for and Possibilities of Humanitarian Disarmament

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 25^th 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:

1. Control Arms
2. International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
3. International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition
4. International Network on Explosive Weapons
5. Stop Killer Robots

Other supporting nongovernmental organizations:

6. Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
7. Action for Women & Children Concern
8. Action on Armed Violence
9. African Council of Religious Leaders–Religions for Peace 
10. Airwars
11. Amnesty International
12. Amputee Selfhelp Network Uganda
13. Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
14. Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign to Stop Killer Robots 
15. Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign on Military Spending 
16. Aotearoa New Zealand Joint Working Group on Landmines and Cluster Munitions
17. Aotearoa New Zealand Network on Militarisation of Children and Young Persons
18. Aotearoa New Zealand Network on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
19. Aotearoa New Zealand Women, Peace and Security Network
20. Arab Human Security Network
21. ASMAR Human Security Organization
22. Assistance Mission for Africa 
23. Associazione Italiana Vittime Civili di Guerra 
24. Aurat Foundation
25. Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines
26. Campaign Against Arms Trade
27. Campaign to Stop Killer Robots Activists Network–Hungary
28. Campaña Colombiana Contra Minas
29. Canadian Pugwash Group
30. Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights
31. Center for International Affairs Studies, Universidad de Buenos Aires
32. Center for International Security and Policy, Kazakhstan.
33. Center for Peace Education
34. Center for Political Ecology
35. Centre Delàs d’estudis per la Pau
36. Centre for Supporters of Human Rights
37. Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos–México 
38. CIVIC
39. Committee of 100 in Finland
40. Conflict and Environment Observatory 
41. CRISPAL-AFRIQUE
42. Deutsche Friedensgesellschaft–Vereinigte KriegsdienstgegnerInnen (DFG-VK)
43. Disarmament and Arms Control–South Africa
44. Droits Humains Sans Frontières
45. Every Casualty Counts
46. Facing Finance
47. Fight For Humanity
48. Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria)
49. Fundación Cultura de Paz (Foundation for a Culture of Peace)
50. FundiPau (Foundation for Peace)
51. FUNPADEM, Costa Rica (Foundation for Peace and Democracy)
52. Gemeinsam gegen Landminen–GGL-Austria (Together against Landmines-Austria)
53. Global Thought Mx
54. Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic
55. Humanity & Inclusion 
56. ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand
57. Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection 
58. Institute of International Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada
59. Instituto Sou da Paz
60. InterAgency Institute
61. International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons
62. International Committee for Robot Arms Control
63. Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
64. Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines
65. Jesuit Refugee Service
66. Kingston and St Andrew Action Forum
67. KNOW NUKES TOKYO
68. Kurdistan Human Rights Association-Geneva
69. Kurdistan Organizations’ Network to Abolish Nuclear and Mass Destruction Weapons
70. Kurdistan without Genocide
71. Landmines Resource Center Lebanon
72. Mécanisme pour l’initiative de la Recherche de la Paix et le Développement (MI-RPD)
73. Medact
74. Mines Action Canada
75. Mines Advisory Group
76. Minnesota Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions/MCBLCM 
77. Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre (Australian Province)
78. Mwatana for Human Rights
79. Namibia NGO Forum Trust (NANGOF Trust)
80. Naturefriends Greece
81. Nepal Campaign to Ban Landmines
82. Noble Delta Women for Peace and Development International
83. Nonviolence International 
84. Nonviolence International Canada
85. Norwegian Peoples Aid
86. Norwegian Peace Association
87. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
88. Nuclear Disarmament Group, Scottish Parliament
89. Organization Against Weapons of Mass Destruction in Kurdistan‎‏
90. Organization of the Justice Campaign
91. PAX
92. Pax Christi-Asia Pacific
93. Pax Christi Ireland
94. Pax Christi Philippines
95. Pax Christi Vlaanderen.
96. Peace Boat
97. Peace Angel Project
98. Peace Movement Aotearoa
99. Peoples Federation for National Peace and Development (PEFENAP)
100. Plataforma CIPÓ (Brazil)
101. Project Ploughshares
102. PROTECTION
103. PSALM: Proud Students Against Landmines and Cluster Bombs
104. Reverse the Trend
105. SafeGround
106. Science for Peace, University of Toronto
107. Security Research and Information Centre
108. Seguridad Humana en América Latina y el Caribe (SEHLAC)
109. Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) of the Jesuits
110. Soka Gakkai International
111. Somali Human Rights Association (SOHRA)
112. South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms (SSANSA)
113. Southern African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD)
114. Survivors Recovery and Rehabilitation Organization
115. Sustainable Peace and Development Organization
116. Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society (Svenska Freds- och Skiljedomsföreningen)
117. Syrian Network for Human Rights
118. Transcend Philipinas
119. transform.at
120. Uganda Landmine Survivors Association
121. United Against Inhumanity
122. United Nations Association of Sweden
123. United Nations Association–UK
124. Virtual Planet Africa
125. West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions
126. White Helmets
127. Women for Peace and Democracy Nepal
128. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
129. World Federalist Movement–Canada
130. World without Chemical and Biological Weapons 
131. Yemen Mine Awareness Association