Ashraf AboArafe
Regional Workshop on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, Conventional Weapons and Autonomous Weapon Systems
Cairo, October 6–7, 2026 — The League of Arab States is hosting a regional workshop on “Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas; 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; and Autonomous Weapon Systems.”
The two-day workshop, held on October 6 and 7, 2026, is organized by the Disarmament and Arms Control Department of the International Political Affairs Sector, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.
The workshop addresses a number of pressing regional and international issues, focusing on the risks and humanitarian consequences associated with the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, as well as the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. Discussions also cover the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and developments relating to autonomous weapon systems.
The workshop brings together experts from Arab countries, alongside specialists from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the United Nations Mine Action Service, including its work on mine action and explosive remnants of war in Libya, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Network on Explosive Weapons, Article 36, and relevant departments of the League of Arab States General Secretariat.
The gathering provides a platform for exchanging expertise and perspectives on the evolving challenges posed by explosive weapons and emerging military technologies, with particular attention to the protection of civilians, humanitarian concerns, and the need to strengthen international efforts toward greater restraint, accountability and respect for international humanitarian law.
