The Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons, Protocol IV of the 1980

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons The United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW or CCWC), concluded at Geneva on October 10, 1980, and entered into force in December 1983, seeks to prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons which are consi ...

, was issued by the United Nations on 13 October 1995. It came into force on 30 July 1998. As of the end of April 2018, the protocol had been agreed to by 109 nations.

History

The

and three annexed protocols were adopted on 10 October 1980 and opened for signature on 10 April 1981. In 1986, Sweden and Switzerland pushed for the Blinding Laser Protocol. During 1989–91, the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

(ICRC) held four international meetings of experts on the topic and in 1993 published ''Blinding Weapons''.

Protocol text

Article 1

It is prohibited to employ

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fi ...

weapons specifically designed, as their sole combat function or as one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness to unenhanced

vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

, that is to the

naked eye Naked eye, also called bare eye or unaided eye, is the practice of engaging in visual perception unaided by a magnifying, light-collecting optical instrument, such as a telescope or microscope, or eye protection. Vision corrected to normal ...

or to the eye with corrective eyesight devices. The High Contracting Parties shall not transfer such

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, ...

s to any State or non-State entity.

Article 2

In the employment of laser systems, the High Contracting Parties shall take all feasible precautions to avoid the incidence of permanent blindness to unenhanced vision. Such precautions shall include training of their armed forces and other practical measures.

Article 3

Blinding as an incidental or collateral effect of the legitimate military employment of laser systems, including laser systems used against optical equipment, is not covered by the prohibition of this

Protocol Protocol may refer to: Sociology and politics * Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states * Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state * Etiquette, a code of personal behavior Science and technolog ...

Article 4

For the purpose of this protocol "permanent blindness" means irreversible and uncorrectable loss of vision which is seriously disabling with no prospect of recovery. Serious disability is equivalent to visual acuity of less than 20/200

Snellen Snellen is a Dutch surname. ''Snel'' means "quick" in Dutch and the original bearer of the name may have been a lively person. However, the origin of the surname often was patronymic, as Snel and Snelle were short forms of the archaic Germanic give ...

measured using both eyes.

Historical significance

ICRC welcomed the ban on blinding lasers as "a significant breakthrough in international humanitarian law," adding: This was also the first international agreement regulating use of lasers during war. (Use of lasers during peace had been previously mentioned in Article IV of the US-Soviet Union Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities Agreement of 1989.)

Limitations

The Protocol does not prohibit attacks against binoculars, periscopes, telescopes, and other optical equipment because it was unknown whether laser attacks on such devices could cause permanent blindness. Article 3 allows for attacks on electronic optical equipment, because damaging it would not cause human injury. Ophthalmologist John Marshall argues that despite the Protocol's ban, countries continue to develop and use "

rangefinders A rangefinder (also rangefinding telemeter, depending on the context) is a device used to measure distances to remote objects. Originally optical devices used in surveying, they soon found applications in other fields, such as photography an ...

, target illuminators, and anti-sensor systems" that "are still effectively antipersonnel laser weapons" because these technologies have the potential to be employed against people in addition to their intended uses. For example, "a laser system that will

dazzle Dazzle may refer to: * Glare (vision), difficulty seeing in the presence of bright light * Dazzle (fabric), a type of polyester fabric * ''Dazzle'' (manga), a Japanese manga series by Minari Endoh * "Dazzle" (song), a song by Siouxsie & the Bans ...

at away may permanently blind at closer range." The only way to prevent all possible eye injuries by combat lasers would be to ban such lasers, but the countries negotiating the Protocol saw this as neither feasible militarily nor even desirable from a humanitarian standpoint because target-marking and rangefinding lasers are important for keeping munitions on target and away from civilians.

References

External links

TextRatifications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blinding Laser Weapons Protocol United Nations treaties Non-lethal weapons Energy weapons International humanitarian law treaties Military lasers Treaties concluded in 1995 Treaties entered into force in 1998 Treaties of Albania Treaties of Algeria Treaties of Antigua and Barbuda Treaties of Argentina Treaties of Australia Treaties of Austria Treaties of Bahrain Treaties of Bangladesh Treaties of Belarus Treaties of Belgium Treaties of Bolivia Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina Treaties of Brazil Treaties of Bulgaria Treaties of Burkina Faso Treaties of Cambodia Treaties of Cameroon Treaties of Canada Treaties of Cape Verde Treaties of Chile Treaties of the People's Republic of China Treaties of Costa Rica Treaties of Colombia Treaties of Croatia Treaties of Cuba Treaties of Cyprus Treaties of the Czech Republic Treaties of Denmark Treaties of the Dominican Republic Treaties of Ecuador Treaties of El Salvador Treaties of Estonia Treaties of Finland Treaties of France Treaties of Gabon Treaties of Georgia (country) Treaties of Germany Treaties of Greece Treaties of Grenada Treaties of Guatemala Treaties of the Holy See Treaties of Honduras Treaties of Hungary Treaties of Iceland Treaties of India Treaties of Iraq Treaties of Ireland Treaties of Israel Treaties of Italy Treaties of Jamaica Treaties of Japan Treaties of Kazakhstan Treaties of Kuwait Treaties of Latvia Treaties of Lesotho Treaties of Liberia Treaties of Liechtenstein Treaties of Lithuania Treaties of Luxembourg Treaties of Madagascar Treaties of the Maldives Treaties of Mali Treaties of Malta Treaties of Mauritius Treaties of Mexico Treaties of Mongolia Treaties of Montenegro Treaties of Morocco Treaties of Nauru Treaties of the Netherlands Treaties of New Zealand Treaties of Nicaragua Treaties of Niger Treaties of Norway Treaties of Pakistan Treaties of Panama Treaties of Paraguay Treaties of Peru Treaties of the Philippines Treaties of Poland Treaties of Portugal Treaties of Qatar Treaties of Moldova Treaties of Romania Treaties of Russia Treaties of Saudi Arabia Treaties of Serbia and Montenegro Treaties of Seychelles Treaties of Sierra Leone Treaties of Slovakia Treaties of Slovenia Treaties of South Africa Treaties of Spain Treaties of Sri Lanka Treaties of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Treaties of Sweden Treaties of Switzerland Treaties of Tajikistan Treaties of North Macedonia Treaties of Tunisia Treaties of Turkey Treaties of Ukraine Treaties of the United Kingdom Treaties of the United States Treaties of Uruguay Treaties of Uzbekistan Treaties of Guinea-Bissau Treaties extended to Greenland Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands 1995 in Austria Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Treaties extended to the Caribbean Netherlands