Virtual Launch of the Second Menu of Indicators to Measure the Reverberating Effects on Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

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Virtual Launch of the Second Menu of Indicators to Measure the Reverberating Effects on Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

At this event, UNIDIR’s Conventional Arms Programme launched a vital new tool: the Second Menu of Indicators to Measure the Reverberating Effects on Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas.

Building on the First Menu of Indicators, this second tool offers updated research considerations and new “focus areas” to document the broad range and scale of harms from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA).

A recording of the event is available on the UNIDIR Youtube Channel (or see below).

The Second Menu of Indicators outlines quantitative indicators designed to capture some of the reverberating effects that the use of EWIPA have in the following “focus areas”: water, sanitation and health (WASH), food security, environmental degradation, and economic opportunities. This Second Menu of Indicators can help build an evidence base and identify general and foreseeable patterns of harm from the use of EWIPA.

An expert panel outlined opportunities to inform policy and practice for the protection of civilians, addressing the following questions: 

  • How have the UNIDIR indicators been used and what lessons have been learned?

  • What are the main research challenges in documenting the reverberating effects from EWIPA? 

  • How can better data on the reverberating effects from EWIPA contribute to ongoing and future efforts in the context of the protection of civilians? 

  • How can different actors maximize current policy openings and contribute to positive outcomes? 

 

PROGRAMME: 

This virtual launch began with opening remarks from Mr. Albrecht von Wittke, Head of the Conventional Arms Control and CSBM Division of the German Federal Foreign Office, before moving on to a panel discussion featuring:

  • John Forde, Deputy Director, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Section, Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland 

  • Alfredo Malaret & Francesca Batault, co-authors of the Second Menu of Indicators, UNIDIR

  • Dominique Gassauer, Civil-Military Coordination Focal Point, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

  • Laura Boillot, Coordinator, International Network on Explosive Weapons