Recent conflicts have accentuated the devastating effects of the use of explosive weapons on civilians in populated areas. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), it is “estimated that some 50 million people now suffer the horrific consequences of urban warfare – a trend that is likely to continue as more and more people concentrate in towns and cities.”

With this, the ICRC has recently launched the report “Explosive Weapons with Wide Area Effects: A Deadly Choice in Populated Areas”. The report provides an analysis of the main issues regarding the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and sets out a range of recommendations for preventing or mitigating the harm caused by such weapons. The report also highlights the importance of international initiative in this context.

Following the launch of this report, the Norwegian Red Cross hosted a roundtable discussion to identify what steps Norway could take to demonstrate leadership in international efforts to protect civilians from explosive weapons in populated areas.

Held on 26 April 2022, this event brought together representatives from the ICRC to present the report, as well as key national stakeholders in Norway, including NCHS Deputy Co-Director, Kristoffer Lidén (Senior Researcher, Peace Research Institute Oslo) who provided comments in response to the report presentation. The roundtable discussion was also joined by government officials, humanitarian organisations and academics.