The bombing and shelling of towns and cities kills and injures people daily, and causes environmental harm that can last decades. How should states address this harm? Read our joint policy brief on EWIPA: tr.ee/SmEkq4 @ceobs.org @npaid.bsky.social @genevawaterhub.bsky.social

Grateful for the incredible work, collaboration, and energy of the whole INEW team throughout these two days. Proud to stand together in the effort to strengthen the protection of civilians. #EWIPA #StopBombingCivilians

@rasmusweschke.bsky.social underscored the urgent need to strengthen civilian protection before and during conflict — not only after. A key reminder for more proactive, life-saving action. #EWIPA #StopBombingCivilians

@almatas.bsky.social highlighted that the impact of EWIPA extends far beyond the moment of injury — long-term recovery requires sustained rehabilitation, mental health support, social inclusion, and access to essential services. #EWIPA #StopBombingCivilians

@lauraboillot.bsky.social also underscores the need for clear operational restrictions and strong civilian harm data systems to effectively prevent and reduce harm in populated areas. #EWIPA #StopBombingCivilians

Session 4 is underway, focusing on how states can turn commitments into concrete action to reduce civilian harm. #EWIPA #StopBombingCivilians

INEW stresses that decisions made today have real consequences for civilians living through conflict. #StopBombingCivilians

Lesotho, Honduras, and Thailand are now among the states endorsing the Political Declaration on EWIPA — strengthening global efforts to protect civilians from explosive weapons. #StopBombingCivilians

Bonnie Docherty stresses that real civilian protection depends on consistent, transparent, and collective implementation of the Declaration’s commitments. #StopBombingCivilians

Roos Boer stresses that the harm from explosive weapons in towns and cities reaches far beyond the point of impact. The EWM data shows a global pattern that demands urgent alignment between commitments and real-world practice. #StopBombingCivilians

As highlighted by Roos Boer, progress exists—but real protection requires concrete policy shifts. Rising civilian deaths and attacks on essential services show why implementation can’t wait. #StopBombingCivilians

#ewipa @explosiveweapon.bsky.social Summary of yesterdays Protection Forum from one of the participants #stopbombingcivilians

We’re about to begin the Protection Forum in Costa Rica, a space to discuss civilian harm, share experiences, and strengthen action under EWIPA. Stay tuned for updates, speakers’ insights, and highlights throughout the day. #StopBombingCivilians

Bonnie Docherty just delivered statement on #humanitariandisarmament on behalf of nearly 100 campaigns and organizations at UN First Committee. reachingcriticalwill.org/images/docum... "Humanitarian disarmament has made a critical difference over the past three decades in saving countless lives..."

🚨🚨“We are therefore ready to move ahead towards negotiations.” #CCWUN closes with a joint statement from 42 states affirming that the Chair’s rolling text discussed this week can form the basis of treaty negotiations on #KillerRobots.

In GVA voor discussies over autonome wapensystemen. Kunnen we beslissingen over leven en dood overlaten aan machines zonder menselijke interventie? Zo nee, hoe bewaken we de ethische en juridische ondergrens bij autonome wapensystemen?👉https://tinyurl.com/2vpx7ft5 @stopkillerrobots.bsky.social‬

"[Human] control as a principle in international law is crucial for drawing red lines to protect our humanity, and for establishing clearly what we find fundamentally ethically unacceptable as an int'l community." – @rboer.bsky.social delivers #StopKillerRobots statement at #CCWUN @paxvoorvrede.nl

Read the full text of the statement here: www.stopkillerrobots.org/resource/sta...

We’ll be in the room next week as diplomatic discussions on #AutonomousWeapons begin at #UNGeneva. States will be discussing the Chair’s rolling text – which could form the basis of a treaty. They must maintain the integrity of the text and move toward negotiations. Time is running out. #CCWUN

“Preserving meaningful human control over the use of force is one of the core purposes of a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems.” – Jimena Sofía Viveros Álvarez delivers the #StopKillerRobots statement this morning at #CCWUN

Out Today: appeal from leaders around the world to uphold norms against cluster munitions and anti personnel landmines 👉 www.tinyurl.com/yc327sf6 @minefreeworld.bsky.social @banclusterbombs.bsky.social

Dutch language tv; on why we need to defend the mine ban treaty and other disarmament treaties in times of tension; eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/item/door-oo... @paxforpeace.nl @minefreeworld.bsky.social

Oscar-winning Palestinian director attacked by Israeli settlers and arrested by the Israeli army after masked settlers attacked his West Bank house. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

Polen, Finland en de Baltische staten willen uit het verdrag tegen landmijnen stappen. Dit is een gevaarlijke stap, omdat landmijnen nog jarenlang dodelijk blijven en vooral burgers treffen. Waarom is dit zo problematisch? Wij praten je bij: paxvoorvrede.nl/nieuws/besch...

Not all options should be on the table for defense, and some lines must never be crossed. Just as nations reject biological and chemical weapons, we must continue to reject anti-personnel #mines.

@latvianmfa.bsky.social @arlietas.bsky.social @baibabraze.bsky.social @tsahkna.bsky.social @radek-sikorski.bsky.social Anti-personnel #landmines were banned because almost all victims are innocent civilians, including children. Don't abandon the #MineBanTreaty @minefreeworld.bsky.social

Excellent @icrc.org post explaining why #landmines were banned and why #Estonia #Latvia #Lithuania #Finland and #Poland should not leave the Mine Ban Treaty. blogs.icrc.org/app/uploads/...

ICBL Condemns #Latvia's Intent to Withdraw from the Mine Ban Treaty and Urges to Reconsider. 👉 Read more: bit.ly/3RmMnLe #MineFreeWorld #ProtectMineBan @latvianmfa.bsky.social @arlietas.bsky.social @baibabraze.bsky.social

9/ "...They should join forces to defend unequivocally the international law they collectively created and the humanitarian principles it embodies." humanitariandisarmament.org/2025/03/19/p...

8/ "..At a time of heightened global conflict and challenges to multilateralism, states should recommit to humanitarian disarmament’s people-centered and cooperative approach..."

7/ "...While the states considering withdrawal from the Mine Ban Treaty have legitimate security concerns, abandoning a cornerstone of international law that underpins the protection of civilians during and after conflict is not the answer...."

6/ "...States, civil society, and international organizations have collaborated to address the humanitarian impacts of autonomous weapons systems, cluster munitions, and nuclear weapons, as well as the arms trade and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas..."

5/ "...and remediated the harm experienced by survivors through prohibitions on antipersonnel landmines and obligations to destroy stockpiles, clear minefields, and assist victims. The Mine Ban Treaty has further inspired cooperative efforts to establish norms governing other weapons..."

4/ "...The Mine Ban Treaty laid the foundation for “humanitarian disarmament,” which seeks to reduce arms-inflicted human suffering and environmental harm. Since its adoption in 1997, the treaty has saved many thousands of lives, prevented tens of thousands of life-changing injuries, ..."

3/ "... Withdrawal would increase the risk of civilian death and injury from an indiscriminate weapon of limited military utility. It would also threaten decades of progress on disarmament and international humanitarian law more broadly..."

2/ "As global civil society coalitions working to reduce the catastrophic impact of war through humanitarian disarmament, we express grave concern that the ministers of defense from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have called on their countries to withdraw from the Mine Ban Treaty..."

1/ five humanitarian disarmament campaigns issue statement on countries possibly withdrawing from Mine Ban Treaty @minefreeworld.bsky.social @banclusterbombs.bsky.social @nuclearban.bsky.social @explosiveweapon.bsky.social Control Arms humanitariandisarmament.org/2025/03/19/p...

“No machine, computer, or algorithm is capable of recognizing a human as a human being, nor can it respect humans as inherent bearers of rights and dignity, understand what it means to be in a state of war, much less what it means to have, or to end, a human life." @nicolevanrooijen.bsky.social

"It is precisely because of the autonomous nature of these technologies that human control over them needs to be explicitly stated and required." Listen to the #StopKillerRobots statent delivered by @nicolevanrooijen.bsky.social on day 2 of #UNCCW:

We’re at #UN in Geneva for the first #UNCCW meeting of 2025. #GGE Chair Robert in den Bosch and High Representative of Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu reiterated states’ agreement to conclude work on the elements of an instrument on #AutonomousWeapons ideally by the end of 2025.

Promises by Big-tech don't seem to be worth anything. "Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons." This is deeply concerning. In this increasingly polarised world, we need more rules and limits, not less. @BanKillerRobots aje.io/rgal15

In 2015 voerde Nederland een luchtaanval uit op een IS-bommenfabriek in Hawija, Irak. Daarbij kwamen minstens 85 burgers om het leven. Vandaag publiceerde de Commissie Sorgdrager haar rapport over deze aanval. Dit moet je weten:

It's here... the report with nearly 50 recommendations and more than two dozen suggested resources + links to videos from last week's #LookingAhead2025 events. See event page www.forumarmstrade.org/lookingahead... and download report at www.forumarmstrade.org/uploads/1/9/...

"De commissie is, volgens de bronnen, ook zeer kritisch over de door Nederland uitbetaalde compensatie aan de nabestaanden van de burgerslachtoffers". #RTL over #hawija #rapport #commissiesorgdrager

❗Wij zijn zeer geschrokken van het bericht dat de Tweede Kamer, en daarmee de Nederlandse bevolking, keer op keer onjuist geïnformeerd zou zijn over de Nederlandse luchtaanval op Hawija, Irak. Bij deze aanval in 2015, werden zeker 85 burgers gedood. www.rtl.nl/nieuws/binne...

Ongoing attacks by SAF on RSF controlled Khartoum Oil Refinery in #Sudan causing fire and smoke plume over Khartoum. This is following the attacks early January 2025 that also caused fires, as the refinery itself has been hit multiple times, causing conflict-pollution.

Weak governance combined with #climatecrisis can worsen conditions of water infrastructure in conflict-affected countries. Good case study here in @nature.com on #Libya's collapsed Derna dam and its humanitarian and environmental impacts. h/t Lina Eklund www.nature.com/articles/s44...

Lots of attendees from 30 countries, many interesting questions and too little time to discuss them all.. Yet a good conversation with @erinlynnhunt.bsky.social @susisnyder.bsky.social and @hine-wailoose on the current political landscape and what lies ahead for humanitarian disarmament in 2025.

Don't miss #LookingAhead2025 session "Moving the Humanitarian Disarmament Agenda Forward in 2025" January 15 w/ * Fadi Abi Allam, Permanent Peace Movement (Lebanon) * Erin Hunt, Mines Action Canada * Susi Snyder, ICAN * Roos Boer, PAX Details and register www.forumarmstrade.org/lookingahead...