Explainer
Cluster Munitions Explained: Why They Are Banned by Many Countries
Cluster munitions scatter multiple explosive submunitions over an area and can leave dangerous unexploded remnants. A 2008 treaty prohibits them for States Parties.
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Topic: Weapons
Explainer
Landmines and the Ottawa Treaty: What Is Banned?
The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibits anti-personnel mines for States Parties and requires stockpile destruction, clearance and victim assistance.
Explainer
Chemical Weapons Explained: What the Chemical Weapons Convention Bans
The Chemical Weapons Convention uses a broad purpose-based definition: toxic chemicals used to cause harm through their toxic properties can qualify as chemical weapons.
Explainer
Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas: Why Cities Face Such High Risk
Artillery, rockets, mortars, large bombs and missiles can cause wide-area blast and fragmentation effects that are especially dangerous in populated areas.
Explainer
Is White Phosphorus Banned? What International Law Actually Says
White phosphorus is not universally banned as a substance, but its use is constrained by international humanitarian law and, in some contexts, rules on…
Explainer
Drones in War: Are Armed Drones Legal?
Armed drones are not generally prohibited as a category. Their use is governed by the same core IHL rules that apply to other weapons,…