Topic: 2024-Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: Ukraine
Delegate Name: Mateo Grimaldo
Ukraine’s Stance on the Use of Indiscriminate Weapons
Ukraine firmly establishes the need for strengthening international law to bar the use of indiscriminate ones, given the evolving modern threats of the changing nature of warfare to fight against and combat post-conflict risks. The world is more able to protect civilians and uphold the principles of international humanitarian law through the greater enforcement of compliance on current treaties with the development of modern accountability mechanisms and the legal realignment for the proliferation of such emerging technologies. Despite very important treaties, like the Ottawa Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapon keeps on being used in afflicted areas around the world. Ukraine now calls for stricter international principles and wider applicability of treaties for eliminating such weapons, while cooperation for innovation and funding for post-conflict demining efforts is emphasized. Ukraine also insists that international law must keep pace with the changing face of warfare, from autonomous weapons systems to cyber attacks, introducing accountability and transparency in their deployment. Indeed, this is the only way forward to ensure the protection of civilians, accelerate recovery, and sustain global security for the future. Ukraine calls for the strengthening of international law to prohibit indiscriminate weapon use and address new threats in warfare through enforcing compliance with treaties, building accountability mechanisms, and adaptive legal frameworks. There is a need for cooperative demining action, state-of-the-art technologies, and funding to help mitigate post-conflict risks while updating legal provisions for autonomous systems and cyber warfare should be taken care of to ensure the protection of civilians and the adherence to international humanitarian principles. Indiscriminate weapons, such as landmines, cluster munitions, and chemical agents, pose severe threats to civilians and hinder recovery in post-conflict areas. Despite key treaties like the Ottawa Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, these weapons continue to be used, with devastating effects in regions like Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine. Challenges include slow and dangerous cleanup efforts, lack of universal treaty adherence, enforcement difficulties, and the emergence of new warfare technologies. Strengthening international cooperation, enforcing compliance, accelerating weapon clearance, and updating legal frameworks to address evolving threats are essential to mitigating these humanitarian risks.
Ukraine looks for more stringent international commitments as well as broader treaties, including the ones on cluster munitions (CCM), and anti-personnel-mines ban (APMBC), making these effective against such weapons that bring about indiscriminate destruction to the civilian populations and affect recovery. MAG and ICRC have formed a consensus about the hazards caused by cluster munitions and landmines by Palestine civilians and their future imperilment. Compliance with the said treaties excludes those arms with indiscriminate effects from the stockpiles of national arsenals worldwide. Compliance with CCM, for example, is indicated in other countries by significant stockpile destruction in all signatory countries. International calls for accountability mechanisms such as through the International Criminal Court (ICC) have been joined by Ukraine with appeals to violations of international humanitarian law. Thus creating disincentives to use such prohibited weapons, the prosecution of offenders would enforce legal norms while showcasing the determination of an international community to defend civilians.
Ukraine further underlines the importance of collaborative international efforts, technological innovations, and sufficient funding to scale up demining operations and make them more effective in reducing the risks associated with unexploded ordnance (UXO). The HALO Trust has been involved in demining projects in Ukraine, utilizing the most sophisticated tools and techniques to clear contaminated land more effectively. Increased investment in demining technology-including ground-penetrating radar and robots accelerates the clearance process, reduces the risk to human operators, and speeds up the re-establishment of conditions for safe living. Ukraine is working globally, alongside NGOs and international coalitions, in raising awareness and funding for demining. The demining of affected countries can be accelerated by broadening the funding and technical assistance sources. Training local teams in using advanced methods will ensure sustainability in demining efforts even after the departure of international teams.
Ukraine calls for adapting international law to respond to emerging threats such as autonomous weapons systems and cyber warfare. It strongly supports the need for accountability and transparency in the use of advanced military technologies. Reports by ICRC show that new means of warfare, such as AI-manned weaponry, might infringe upon laws of humanitarianism if not scrutinized in its usage. Specific codifications of criteria for utilizing advanced technologies follow international humanitarian tenets. For example, autonomous systems would have to distinguish between combatants and civilians to avoid unlawful harm. The Geneva Conventions, for what it’s worth, do not currently have provisions specially made for cyberspace. Although waging war in cyberspace is currently seen as one of the main features of having a conflict, these states have been falling into this phenomenon. Ukraine is no exception to this trend. Amendments that include cyber operations in the doctrines ensure that a state does not conveniently use legal gaps to conduct indiscriminate attacks. Visible regulations regarding cyber engagement reduce escalation, thereby protecting critical civilian infrastructure.
It must be emphasized that international law must strengthen and broaden approaches in the multifaceted way that treaty commitment expands, guarantees compliance, and recognizes the new technologies of warfare. Ukraine insists on other treaties, for example, CCM and APMBC, with accountability institutions such as ICC- to imbibe dissuations and protections for civilians. Removal of explosive hazards by innovative technology, continuing funding, and international cooperation is as important in ensuring that post-conflict recovery will not suffer. Finally, it is time to adapt legal frameworks to current challenges, such as autonomous weapons and cyber warfare, if legal gaps were to be closed and humanitarian principles could be kept at the center of all international security efforts. Only then can the global community meaningfully reach the imperative action of the future toward collective security.
Firmly establishes the need for strengthening international law to bar the use of indiscriminate ones, given the evolving modern threats of the changing nature of warfare to fight against and combat post-conflict risks. The world is more able to protect civilians and uphold the principles of international humanitarian law through the greater enforcement of compliance on current treaties with the development of modern accountability mechanisms and the legal realignment for the proliferation of such emerging technologies. Despite very important treaties, like the Ottawa Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the weapon keeps on being used in afflicted areas around the world. Ukraine now calls for stricter international principles and wider applicability of treaties for eliminating such weapons, while cooperation for innovation and funding for post-conflict demining efforts is emphasized. Ukraine also insists that international law must keep pace with the changing face of warfare, from autonomous weapons systems to cyber attacks, introducing accountability and transparency in their deployment. Indeed, this is the only way forward to ensure the protection of civilians, accelerate recovery, and sustain global security for the future.
Works Cited
“Demining Efforts and Technological Innovations in Ukraine.” HALO Trust, 2024, www.halotrust.org. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
“Indiscriminate Weapons and International Humanitarian Law.” International Committee of the Red Cross, 2023. www.icrc.org. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
“MAG Statement on the Indiscriminate Use of Weapons and the Erosion of the Principle of Humanity.” MAG International, 28 July 2023, maginternational.org. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
“Technological Solutions for Accelerating Demining.” Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, 2023, www.gichd.org. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
“The Cluster Munition Coalition and Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention: Updates and Progress.” ICBL-CMC, 2024, www.stopclustermunitions.org. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
“We Must Go Above, Beyond Compliance, Fully Protect Civilians against ‘Harms They Are Suffering on Our Watch’.” UN Meetings Coverage, 2023, press.un.org. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
