INEW First Committee 2026 briefing note

Executive Summary

Despite the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, civilian casualties from bombing and shelling continue at a massive scale, with over 22,600 killed in 2025. Concrete changes to military policy and practice remain limited, highlighting the urgent need for states to implement their commitments. The report calls for specific national measures, including policy reviews, comprehensive training, and restrictions on wide-area effect weapons.

Why It Matters

This document highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by explosive weapons in populated areas, directly impacting military doctrine, international law, and the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Key Takeaways

• Despite the Political Declaration, civilian harm from explosive weapons in populated areas remains extensive, with over 22,600 fatalities in 2025, and military policy changes are limited.
  Source evidence · PDF page 1

  Nearly four years after the adop­tion of the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, bomb­ing and shelling in towns and cities con­tinue to kill and injure civil­ians on a mas­sive scale, and changes to mil­i­tary policy and prac­tice that specif­i­cally address this harm remain limited.

• Most endorsing states have taken initial steps like disseminating the Declaration, but concrete changes to military policy and practice specific to explosive weapons in populated areas are still lacking.
  Source evidence · PDF page 5

  The Explosive Weapons Monitor’s assess­ment of imple­men­ta­tion, draw­ing on responses from 32 endors­ing states to its 2025 survey, found that most respond­ing states have taken ini­tial steps, such as dis­sem­i­nat­ing the Declaration and appoint­ing focal points, but that con­crete changes to mil­i­tary policy and prac­tice spe­cific to the use of explo­sive weapons in pop­u­lated areas remain limited.

• States are urged to adopt policies restricting or refraining from using explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas, supported by technical information for commanders and robust mitigation measures.
  Source evidence · PDF page 3

  A policy that explo­sive weapons with wide area effects should not be used in pop­u­lated areas unless suf­fi­cient mit­i­ga­tion mea­sures are taken; a clear process for decid­ing when to restrict and when to refrain; tech­ni­cal infor­ma­tion on the area effects of weapons in national inven­to­ries made avail­able to commanders.

Strategic Relevance

The document underscores the critical challenge of protecting civilians in modern warfare, influencing military doctrine, international humanitarian law, and the strategic calculus of states regarding weapon use and transfers. It also highlights the gap between international commitments and practical military implementation.