Human Rights Watch Statement to the CCW Meeting of High Contracting Parties in Geneva, regarding Protocol III and Incendiary Weapons

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. Nearly four decades ago, when a UN disarmament meeting last had an agenda item dedicated to incendiary weapons, the effects of air-dropped napalm and the politics of the era shaped the discussions. The result was Protocol III, which addressed the main problems associated with incendiary weapons in the 1970s, but has proven inadequate to deal with harm they inflict in twenty-first-century conflicts. Having Protocol III on the agenda this week has rekindled debate about these especially cruel weapons. Almost every state that has spoken on the topic has expressed concern…

© Human Rights Watch - samedi 20 janvier 2018