Topic: 2024-Indiscriminate Weapons
Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Charlotte Dykstra
Indiscriminate weapons such as landmines, cluster munitions, and chemical agents increase threats to global peace and stability. Despite these weapons serving as legitimate and effective defense mechanisms, their ability to harm civilians and threaten post-conflict regions presents an issue for the international community. For several decades, the UN has been at the forefront of addressing these issues, including the Ottawa Treaty in 1997, the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in 2008, and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in 2013.
The Russian Federation approaches the complex issues associated with indiscriminate weapons with a focus on respecting sovereign states’ rights. While Russia has used cluster munitions and thermobaric weapons in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine, these attacks were adherent to international law and were solely aimed at military targets. The Russian Federation denies any allegations of indiscriminate attacks with the intent to harm civilians and other non-military personnel. Russia itself remains contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) from World War II, the two Chechen wars, and other armed conflicts. In October 2024, the Russian International Mine Action Center trained as many as 136 deminers to aid in demining efforts in Laos.
Russia is a signatory on the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that limit stockpiling, development, and use of certain indiscriminate weapons. The Russian Federation has refrained from signing the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, which bans antipersonnel landmines, and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). This is due to the fact that prior regulations and protocols are sufficient to monitor and regulate indiscriminate weapons.
Russia is committed to balancing humanitarian concerns with military necessity concerning indiscriminate weapons. The Russian Federation recognizes the concerns indiscriminate weapons raise, especially in post-conflict areas, but is aware of the important role indiscriminate weapons play in active war zones. The delegation of Russia would like to advocate for stronger implementation and monitoring of pre-existing agreements in order to ensure compliance with CCW protocols. Additionally, the delegation supports increased international funding to support demining efforts in post-conflict regions through organizations like the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS). The Russian Federation would like to stress the prioritization of disposing of indiscriminate weapons from past conflicts as opposed to limiting the functionality and use of certain weapons in current conflicts.
