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(Johannesburg ) – South Africa and other countries that have not yet done so should endorse a widely adopted political commitment aimed at protecting civilians from the bombing and shelling of cities and towns during wartime, according the Human Rights Watch today following a regional meeting on this concern held in Johannesburg.
“South Africa has taken a strong, principled position in condemning the devastating impact caused by today’s armed conflicts and in supporting accountability for serious violations of the laws of war,” said Ida Sawyer, crisis, conflict and arms director at Human Rights Watch. “South Africa should deepen its determination to protecting civilians by endorsing the declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and by encouraging other governments in the region to follow suit.”
The bombing and shelling of populated areas is one of the most serious threats to civilians in contemporary armed conflict. Recognizing the civilian harm caused and acute need for action, Austria, Ireland, and other governments initiated a political process in 2019. It resulted in the adoption of a political declaration to reduce the humanitarian consequences of this method of war, which opened for endorsement in November 2022.
A new question-and-answer document issued in advance of the regional meeting by Human Rights Watch and Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic introduces the issue of explosive weapons and analyzes the provisions of the Political Declaration on the Protection of Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons. The new publication also details how harm can be reduced through implementation of those provisions.
Source = Human Rights Watch
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