On 30-31 January, 2024, a sub-regional workshop took place in Lomé, Togo on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences of the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, organised by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and supported by Ireland, with the participation of INEW.

The workshop served as a platform for fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among participating States and entities with a view to build the normative and practical knowledge for national, regional and global implementation of the Political Declaration, in the region of West Africa.

The workshop outcomes were:

• Strengthen the participation of African States in the process on the Political Declaration and to ensure relevant perspectives are reflected.

• Build the capacity of relevant government experts of States in Western Africa to effectively implement the Political Declaration.

• Raise awareness of the Political Declaration and promote its universalisation in Africa and in the region.

• Promote exchanges of good practice through the participation of both signatory and non-signatory States and exchange information, expertise and knowledge.

• Review progress on the Political Declaration within the region and provide concrete inputs to the first international follow up meeting, in Oslo in April 2024.