Arms
Many urgent arms-related challenges should be addressed to protect civilians affected by conflict and its deadly legacy. Antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions have been prohibited outright, but the ban treaties need to be universalized and complied with fully. Militaries use a wide-range of explosive weapons—artillery, rockets, mortars, air-delivered bombs and more—in populated areas, frequently causing indiscriminate harm to civilians. Incendiary weapons cause painful and cruel injuries, yet they continue to be used. The development of fully autonomous weapons—“killer robots”—that could select and engage targets without human intervention need to be stopped to prevent a future of warfare and policing outside of human control and responsibility. The Arms Division of Human Rights Watch works to advance humanitarian disarmament and enhance protections for civilians from various weapons that inflict unnecessary harm. We document the negative impact of weapons and promote the establishment and implementation of international treaties and legal norms.
-
Ethiopia: Unlawful Shelling of Tigray Urban Areas
UN Inquiry Needed into Alleged Violations by Warring Parties
-
-
Armenia: Unlawful Rocket, Missile Strikes on Azerbaijan
Investigate Indiscriminate Attacks, Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
-
Azerbaijan: Unlawful Strikes in Nagorno-Karabakh
Investigate Alleged Indiscriminate Attacks, Use of Explosive Weapons
News
-
Russia-Linked Landmines Threaten Lives in Libya
UN Report Shows Transfers of Banned Landmines in Conflict
-
-
South Africa: Police Kill Bystander at Protest
Punish Officers Responsible; Improve Training; Halt Use of Rubber Bullets
-
Statement on Section Four to the Consultations on Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
Delivered by Bonnie Docherty, Senior Researcher
-
Statement on Section Three to the Consultations on Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
Delivered by Steve Goose, Executive Director, on behalf of the International Network on Explosive Weapons
-
Statement on the Preamble to the Consultations on Political Declaration on the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
Delivered by Bonnie Docherty, Senior Researcher
-
Unlawful Attacks on Medical Facilities and Personnel in Nagorno-Karabakh
New Research on Three Incidents from 2020 Conflict
-
Talks Restart to Curb Explosive Weapons Use in Populated Areas
Strong Political Declaration Needed to Reduce Civilian Harm
-
-
-
Ethiopia: Unlawful Shelling of Tigray Urban Areas
UN Inquiry Needed into Alleged Violations by Warring Parties
-
Killer Robots: Survey Shows Opposition Remains Strong
Stalled Diplomatic Talks Highlight Urgent Need for Political Leadership