Protecting the environment during warfare

Protecting natural environment during armed conflict
Addressing large scale environmental destruction during armed conflict

Description

Protecting the environment during warfare involves implementing measures to prevent or minimize ecological damage caused by military operations. Essential actions include enforcing international laws prohibiting environmental destruction, restricting the use of hazardous weapons, safeguarding critical ecosystems, and ensuring rapid assessment and remediation of environmental harm. These strategies aim to preserve natural resources, protect civilian health, and support post-conflict recovery by reducing long-term environmental degradation and its associated humanitarian and economic impacts.

Context

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.

Claim

Measures in accordance with international law should be considered to address, in times of armed conflict, large-scale destruction of the environment that cannot be justified under international law. The UN General Assembly and its Sixth Committee are the appropriate forums to deal with this subject. The specific competence and role of the International Committee of the Red Cross should be taken into account.