Question 26174 — foreign policy

Summary

Mr. Jean-Luc Lagleize alerts the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs about France's position regarding the current diplomatic process which will aim to regulate the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact radius in populated areas. On October 1 and 2, 2019 in Vienna, Austria, the first international conference on the protection of civilians in urban conflicts was held. The exceptional presence of 133 States during this conference demonstrated the major interest shown by the international community on this subject. During these discussions, more than 84 states supported an international political declaration to end the suffering caused to civilians. For the first time, France officially declared itself “in favor of working on a political declaration” on the subject. This is a first major step that should be saluted. However, the International Network on Explosive Weapons expressed its deepest concern following France's proposals, identified in a joint document with Great Britain and Germany during the first round of negotiations in Geneva on November 18, 2019 at the United Nations. Indeed, the French proposals are intended to strengthen the protection of civilians in urban conflicts, but seem to avoid the specific issue of controlling explosive weapons with a large impact radius in populated areas, an issue at the heart of this diplomatic process. For the eighth consecutive year, when explosive weapons with a large impact radius (shells, rockets, artillery, etc.) were used in populated areas, more than 90% of the victims were civilians. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas also has a range of effects indirect: destroyed housing, razed vital infrastructure, regions contaminated by weapons that did not explode on impact, causing the forced displacement of millions of individuals. It is for this reason that it is imperative that the humanitarian issue caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact radius in populated areas be included in the future political declaration, as well as the need for assistance to victims of weapons explosive via adequate humanitarian aid, in the short and long term (rehabilitation, health care), beyond the “stabilization and reconstruction” angle. As discussions on the substance of an ambitious political declaration continue, it seems imperative to ensure that the search for consensus does not diminish the historic significance of this declaration. He therefore questions him about France's position vis-à-vis the process ongoing diplomatic process which will aim to regulate the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact radius in populated areas.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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