Last week, MAG representatives participated in the Second International Conference of the Political Declaration on the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) in San José, Costa Rica.
The conference brought together states, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to examine the ongoing humanitarian impact of explosive weapons, share field experiences, and strengthen the global commitment to protecting civilians in conflict.
MAG was pleased to learn that Honduras and Thailand have now endorsed the declaration, bringing the number of supporting states to 90. During the conference, Mozambique also announced its intention to do the same. This is an important step toward universalisation and reflects the growing relevance of the declaration in today’s context.
Two key messages emerged clearly throughout the proceedings:
First, political commitment must be matched with concrete action. Three years after the Declaration’s adoption, it was encouraging to hear how some states are moving toward meaningful implementation.
While progress remains uneven, the conference created a space for states, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to exchange practical recommendations that we hope will inform future action.
Secondly, prevention must be at the centre of our efforts. We cannot focus solely on addressing the harmful and long-term consequence of the use of EWIPA - we must prevent it from happening in the first place.
States and all parties to conflict should limit the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas and uphold international humanitarian law and principles. At MAG, we will continue working to amplify this life-saving message.
MAG also joined a panel at the Conference's Protection Forum to discuss urban clearance and explosive ordnance risk education (EORE), advocating for increased EORE and collaboration with partners in mine action and beyond.
As the Second International Conference on EWIPA concludes, we leave with a renewed conviction: protecting civilians is not optional, it is a humanitarian imperative.
