Global Pact Aims to Change Military Norms, But Key Nations Exclude Themselves

In a groundbreaking move, 80 countries, led by the US, UK, and France, signed a declaration in Dublin on Friday to limit the use of explosive weapons in urban areas, marking the first international agreement of its kind.

The agreement, which took more than three years to negotiate, is seen as an effort to reduce civilian casualties in modern conflicts. However, major military powers, including Russia, China, Israel, and India, declined to endorse the pact.

Campaigners hope the deal will set a new global standard, akin to the established taboos against chemical weapons and cluster bombs. Sahr Muhammedally, a director at the Centre for Civilians in Conflict, highlighted that urban bombing has become the leading cause of civilian deaths in contemporary warfare, citing cities such as Mosul, Tripoli, Mogadishu, and Kharkiv as tragic examples.