Protocol on Incendiary Weapons

The Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the use of Incendiary Weapons is a United Nations treaty that restricts the use of incendiary weapons. It is Protocol III to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Concluded in 1981, it entered into force on 2 December 1983. As of April 2018, it has been adopted by 115 state parties.[1]

Protocol on Incendiary Weapons

Long name: Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the use of Incendiary Weapons
Context	Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons
Effective	2 December 1983 (1983-12-02)
Condition	20
Parties	115[1]
Depositary	UN Secretary-General
Languages	Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish

Content

The protocol prohibits, in all circumstances, making the civilian population as such, individual civilians or civilian objects, the object of attack by any weapon or munition which is primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons through the action of flame, heat or a combination thereof, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target. The protocol also prohibits the use of air-delivered incendiary weapons against military targets within a concentration of civilians, and limits the use of incendiary weapons delivered by other means. Forest and other plants may not be a target unless they are used to conceal combatants or other military objectives.[2][3] Protocol III lists certain munition types like smoke shells which only have a secondary or additional incendiary effect; these munition types are not considered to be incendiary weapons.[4]

External links

• Text and signatories of the protocol

References

1. "Protocol III to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects: Status of the Protocol". UNODA. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
2. "1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons – Factsheet". International Committee of the Red Cross. March 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
3. "Rule 84. The Protection of Civilians and Civilian Objects from the Effects of Incendiary Weapons". International Committee of the Red Cross. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
4. "Protocol III to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects: Text of the Protocol". UNODA. Retrieved 23 June 2016.