Depleted Uranium in Iraq: UNEP, UN Resolutions, Policy

Reference article · Updated 2026-11-06

Key facts

UNEP recommended in April 2003 that DU-targeted sites in Iraq be assessed scientifically as soon as conditions permitted.
UNEP's later Iraq DU project focused on building the capacity of Iraq's Radiation Protection Centre and compiling DU data.
UNEP's Balkan assessments (2001 to 2003) found no immediate widespread risk there, while noting open scientific issues.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on DU weapons in 2007 (A/RES/62/30) and has repeated the topic since, most recently in 2024 (A/RES/79/49).
WHO has said that the evidence available on health effects in Iraq is too limited to be conclusive.

Why this question exists

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product of enrichment (see the DU basics page) that is used in armour-piercing ammunition and armour. Public information shows that coalition forces used DU munitions in Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and again during the 2003 invasion. The governments concerned have acknowledged use in general terms. Detailed information on where, how much and what type of rounds were fired has been released only partly, and this is one reason the subject has remained contested.

This page does not attempt to resolve the health or legal debate. It sets out which institutions have documented what, with references, and distinguishes what is established from what is asserted. It does not report figures for munitions quantities, civilian casualties or disease rates, because no source verified for this page provides figures that reviewers agree on.

UNEP's work on depleted uranium

The UN Environment Programme's Post-Conflict Assessment Unit carried out field studies of DU in the Balkans and published results for Kosovo (2001), Serbia and Montenegro (2002) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2003). In its summaries UNEP described these as the first international field assessments of how DU behaves in the environment.

In Kosovo the mission visited a number of sites and collected measurements; in Bosnia it reported that the mass of penetrators it could find had decreased markedly between the end of the conflict and the assessment, which indicates corrosion. UNEP concluded that DU contamination did not pose immediate risks to human health or the environment under the conditions found there, while stating that questions such as possible long-term effects on groundwater justified monitoring.

For Iraq the sequence was different. In April 2003 UNEP recommended a scientific assessment of DU-targeted sites as soon as conditions permitted. Subsequent UNEP activity, described on its DU page, started with a desk study and then a project that concentrated on strengthening the Radiation Protection Centre of the Iraqi Ministry of Environment and on building a database of DU information. That database gave priority to the 2003 conflict but included important data from 1991. This summary is drawn from UNEP's own description. This page did not verify the content of any UNEP Iraq field findings and does not report them.

Health assessments by WHO and scientific bodies

WHO published its monograph on DU exposure and health effects in 2001, together with the report of its Kosovo mission, and a report by the WHO Secretariat on the health effects of DU has also been published. WHO has been reported to have said that, for Iraq, the available evidence was too limited to reach firm conclusions.

The Iraqi government has stated its view that exposure to DU is linked to increases in cancers and congenital malformations among civilians. Independent confirmation of such a link has been difficult to establish because baseline data, exposure measurements and registries were limited by conflict, sanctions and displacement, and because other environmental exposures were present at the same time.

In the United Kingdom, the Royal Society has published reports on the health hazards of DU munitions, and issued a media release on its recommendations in April 2003. Government statements citing the Royal Society reports have emphasised the finding that the evidence did not show that DU presented a significant health risk in typical post-conflict conditions, while critics argue that the reports also identified uncertainties and recommended further research and monitoring. The institutional reports themselves should be read directly. Their conclusions depend on assumed exposure scenarios, such as people entering destroyed vehicles or children playing at impact sites.

Notably, assessments in general distinguish between typical exposures for the general population, which are expected to be small, and higher exposures for particular groups: personnel inside vehicles struck by DU rounds, those handling wreckage, and scrap workers.

UN General Assembly resolutions

The General Assembly adopted resolution 62/30, titled on the effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium, on 5 December 2007. The UN voting record shows 136 votes in favour, 5 against and 36 abstentions, with 15 not voting. The resolution asked the Secretary-General for a report that would draw on the views of member states and of relevant international organisations. The follow-up resolution of 2008 (63/54) refers to that report and invites states that had not yet submitted views to do so.

Later resolutions on the same subject have been adopted at regular intervals. Resolution 77/49 was adopted by 147 votes to 5 with 23 abstentions. Resolution 79/49 was adopted on 2 December 2024 by 152 in favour, 4 against and 30 abstentions. According to the advocacy group that tracks them, the text is nearly identical to earlier ones. The resolutions encourage states to provide information, call for assistance to affected countries in assessment and clean-up, and ask for continued attention from UN bodies including UNEP and WHO. They are recommendatory and do not themselves prohibit any weapon.

Voting patterns show that the main users of DU munitions have generally voted against or abstained, while a large majority of other states has voted in favour. Readers wanting to check individual votes should consult the UN voting record.

Policy questions that remain open

Several policy questions run through the debate and are typically phrased in neutral terms by the institutions involved.

Information. Whether location and quantity data on DU use should be released to affected states to allow survey and clean-up. The resolutions call for this kind of assistance; responses by user states differ.
Environmental survey and clean-up. Whether, where and how sites should be assessed and wreckage removed, and who funds it. UNEP's capacity-building in Iraq addressed part of this.
Precaution. Whether uncertainty about long-term effects justifies restrictions before conclusive epidemiology exists, a position taken by many resolution sponsors, versus the view that existing assessments show no demonstrated significant risk to the general population.
Legal status. Whether existing rules of armed conflict, including those on environmental protection and indiscriminate effects, apply to DU. No treaty specifically prohibits DU munitions.

For the broader regulatory frame for uranium materials see the regulation overview, and for what happens to the DU stocks that originate in enrichment see the stockpiles page. The effects of radiation exposure in general are explained on the radiation and dose page.

Frequently asked questions

Was depleted uranium used in Iraq?

Yes. DU munitions were used by coalition forces in the 1991 Gulf War and in the 2003 war, a fact acknowledged in general terms by the governments concerned. Detailed location and quantity data have been only partly released.

Did UNEP assess DU sites in Iraq?

UNEP recommended an assessment in April 2003 and later ran a project to build capacity at Iraq's Radiation Protection Centre and compile DU data. This page does not report field findings because they were not verified.

What did UNEP find in the Balkans?

Assessments in Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded that DU did not pose immediate risks under conditions found, but noted open issues such as long-term groundwater effects.

What do UN General Assembly resolutions on DU say?

They request information and views from states, support assistance to affected countries and continued study by UN bodies. Resolution 79/49 passed in 2024 by 152 votes to 4, with 30 abstentions. They are not binding bans.

Is there a proven link between DU and illness in Iraq?

WHO has said available evidence is too limited to be conclusive. The Iraqi government maintains a link with cancers and malformations; independent confirmation has been hampered by data limitations.