The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) is a major cause of civilian harm in armed conflicts worldwide. In addition to their devastating direct effects, the impacts of the use of explosive weapons reverberate for a long time after a conflict has ended, causing severe and long-lasting harm to people and communities.
The Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA Political Declaration), endorsed by over 80 States, provides a crucial framework for action and collaboration in preventing and mitigating these harms and strengthening the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Ahead of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) First Committee in October 2024, UNIDIR and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) will organize a series of online regional briefings to raise awareness of the EWIPA Political Declaration and promote exchanges of regional experiences and approaches.
The briefings aim to help inform discussions among Member States in relevant regional and international meetings. Furthermore, the briefings will contribute to preparations towards the second international follow-up Conference of the Declaration, to be held in San José, Costa Rica, in 2025.
Agenda
- Opening Remarks
- EWIPA and the Political Declaration
- Regional Perspectives and Approaches
- Key Developments and Updates
- Q&A
When and where
Times and days vary for different regional groups, please see below to identify your regional group.
| African States | 1 October 2024, 10:00-11:00 CEST | Register here |
| Latin American and Caribbean States | 1 October 2024, 16:00-17:00 CEST | Register here |
| Asia-Pacific States | 2 October 2024, 10:00-11:00 CEST | Register here |
| Eastern European States | 2 October 2024, 14:00-15:00 CEST | Register here |
| Western European and other States | 3 October 2024, 14:00-15:00 CEST | Register here |
Language(s)
All regional briefings will be delivered in English. Interpretation into French and Portuguese will be available for the regional briefing for African States, interpretation into Spanish and Portuguese will be available for the regional briefing for Latin American and Caribbean States, and interpretation into Arabic will be available for the regional briefing for Asia-Pacific states.
Participants
UNIDIR and UNODA encourage the participation of representatives from permanent missions in New York and Geneva, experts in national capitals, regional organizations and other entities interested in this issue.
RSVP
Please register for each regional briefing. The links to each of the events will be shared with registered participants.
Further information
For any questions, please contact Barbara Morais Figueiredo at barbara.moraisfigueiredo@un.org and Juliana Helou van der Berg at juliana.helou@un.org.
Co-organizer
