Actions taken:
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) is a primary cause of civilian deaths and injuries during armed conflict. More must be done to better protect civilians in urban conflicts. Therefore, Austria kick-started the process leading to the Political Decla-ration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA Political Decla-ration) through the Vienna Conference on “Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare” in 2019 with more than 500 participants including from 133 States that contributed to a common understanding of the severe civilian harm, direct and indirect, resulting from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Austria has continued to engage actively in the implementation and universalization of the EWIPA Political Declaration since its adoption in 2022.
To foster the implementation of the EWIPA Political Declaration by the military, Austria in January 2024 organised the Vienna Military Workshop on the Implementation of the EWIPA Political Declaration. The interactive multi-stakeholder Workshop brought together military personnel from more than 40 Signatory States and one Observer State as well as representatives from UN entities, the ICRC, regional organisations, implementing parties and civil society, including survivor representatives.
The report of the Workshop was submitted as a working paper to the Oslo First International Follow Up Conference to the EWIPA Political Declaration, that took place on 23 April 2024 in Oslo as food for thought for future work, containing collected observations, good practices and identified needs regarding the effective implementation of the Declaration by the military.
As a member of the informal Group of Friends on the EWIPA Political Declaration Austria also works towards the effective implementation of the EWIPA Political Declaration at the national level. Therefore, Austria is in the process of developing policies and measures at the domestic level to put the EWIPA Political Declaration into practice and support its universali-zation, including by
• drafting a political strategy which shall guide the training, operations and procurement of the Austrian Armed Forces in the context of urban warfare, thereby systematically integrating the commitments made in the EWIPA Political Declaration; and
• adapting the Article 36 procedure in line with the commitments made in the EWIPA Political Declaration. The Article 36 procedure requires Austria to determine whether the employment of a new weapon, means or method of warfare by its armed forces would in some or all circumstances be prohibited.