Protocol IV CCW

Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons is an annex to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), the umbrella treaty also known as the Inhumane Weapons Convention. It was adopted in Vienna on 13 October 1995 at the First CCW Review Conference and entered into force on 30 July 1998.

The protocol's core obligation is in Article 1: parties commit not to employ laser weapons specifically designed, as their sole or one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness to unenhanced vision (the naked eye or eye with corrective eyewear). Article 1 also bars transfer of such weapons to any state or non-state actor. Article 2 requires parties to take all feasible precautions to avoid incidental permanent blindness from the legitimate military use of other laser systems, such as rangefinders and target designators. Article 3 clarifies that blinding as an incidental or collateral effect of legitimate military laser use is not covered by the prohibition. Article 4 defines "permanent blindness" as irreversible and uncorrectable vision loss with a severe visual acuity threshold.

Protocol IV is notable as one of the few instances in modern arms control where a weapon was banned preemptively, before being widely deployed in combat. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Human Rights Watch led the advocacy campaign in the early 1990s.

The protocol is binding only on states that have expressly consented to it; CCW ratification alone is not sufficient, as each annexed protocol requires separate adherence. Major military powers including the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany are parties. Critics note the protocol does not ban tactical lasers that temporarily dazzle, and enforcement relies on national implementation rather than a verification regime. Compliance concerns have periodically surfaced around dazzler systems deployed at sea and in counter-piracy or border contexts.