Arms
Many urgent arms-related challenges should be addressed to protect civilians affected by conflict and its deadly legacy. Antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions have been prohibited outright, but the ban treaties need to be universalized and complied with fully. Militaries use a wide-range of explosive weapons—artillery, rockets, mortars, air-delivered bombs and more—in populated areas, frequently causing indiscriminate harm to civilians. Incendiary weapons cause painful and cruel injuries, yet they continue to be used. The development of fully autonomous weapons—“killer robots”—that could select and engage targets without human intervention need to be stopped to prevent a future of warfare and policing outside of human control and responsibility. The Arms Division of Human Rights Watch works to advance humanitarian disarmament and enhance protections for civilians from various weapons that inflict unnecessary harm. We document the negative impact of weapons and promote the establishment and implementation of international treaties and legal norms.
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United States
July 29, 2020
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Africa
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Explosive Weapons Devastating for Civilians
International Action Needed to Curtail Deaths, Long-Term Harm in Populated Areas
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Gaza: Apparently Unlawful Israeli Strikes Kill At Least 11 Civilians
Palestinian Armed Groups Also Unlawfully Fired Indiscriminately in November Fighting
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“The Guerrillas Are the Police”
Social Control and Abuses by Armed Groups in Colombia’s Arauca Province and Venezuela’s Apure State
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Chile: Police Reforms Needed in the Wake of Protests
Excessive Force Against Demonstrators, Bystanders; Serious Abuse in Detention
News
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Human Rights Council should urgently address impunity for summary executions
Item 3 interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on summary executions - 9 July 2020
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Statement on Cooperative Compliance, Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Meetings
Delivered by Steve Goose, Arms Division Executive Director
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Italy Should Stop Arms Transfer to Egypt
Deal Contravenes EU Pledge, Risks Facilitating Further Abuses
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France Should Halt Arms Exports to Saudi Arabia, Egypt
Arms Sales to Rights-Abusing Countries Fuel Atrocities Against Civilians
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Libya: Landmines Left After Armed Group Withdraws
Victim-Activated Explosive Devices Endanger Human Lives
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