Evaluated screen

White Phosphorus Incendiary Weapons

Identifies companies and other entities that are involved in the development, production, assembly, integration, sale, supply, transfer, export, procurement, stockpiling, possession, or operational use of munitions containing white phosphorus that are primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons through flame, heat, or a combination of those effects.

Type
Evaluated
Version
2026.08.21.2
Published
Aug 21, 2026
Inclusions
7
Exclusions
5
How to read this definition

Inclusion criteria describe evidence that can establish this activity. Exclusion criteria identify circumstances that do not establish it on that basis alone. The evaluation remains connected to its taxonomy version and supporting evidence.

Can establish this activity

Included when supported

Evidence may support involvement when it matches one or more of these inclusion criteria.

7 criteria
  1. 01Criterion

    Production or Assembly of White Phosphorus Incendiary Weapons

    Defined as: Companies and other entities that manufacture or assemble munitions containing white phosphorus that are primarily designed to set fire to objects or cause burn injury to persons.

  2. 02Criterion

    Development, Engineering, or Testing of White Phosphorus Incendiary Weapons

    Defined as: Companies and other entities that research, develop, engineer, or test white phosphorus munitions whose primary design is incendiary attack or burn injury.

  3. 03Criterion

    Sale, Supply, or Contracted Delivery of White Phosphorus Incendiary Weapons

    Defined as: Companies and other entities that sell, supply, broker, or deliver qualifying white phosphorus incendiary weapons under a product-specific military or government contract.

  4. 04Criterion

    Verified Operational Use of White Phosphorus Incendiary Weapons

    Defined as: Companies, contractors, armed forces, government bodies, non-state armed groups, and other entities with verified operational use of a white phosphorus munition primarily as an incendiary weapon. Entity type and investability are recorded separately.

  5. 05Criterion

    Export, Transfer, or Distribution of White Phosphorus Incendiary Weapons

    Defined as: Companies and other entities that export, transfer, broker, or distribute qualifying white phosphorus incendiary weapons where the exact product and transaction role are established.

  6. 06Criterion

    Corroborated Official Findings of White Phosphorus Incendiary Involvement

    Defined as: Companies and other entities for which an official investigation, enforcement action, treaty record, or reputable specialist report identifies the exact entity, qualifying white phosphorus incendiary product, and activity, supported by underlying or independent evidence. List membership alone is insufficient.

  7. 07Criterion

    Verified State, Military, or Non-Investable Entity Involvement

    Defined as: State-owned entities, government bodies, military units, non-state armed groups, and other non-investable entities with verified development, procurement, stockpiling, transfer, or use of qualifying white phosphorus incendiary weapons. Their entity type does not negate the factual activity.

Does not establish this activity on its own

Excluded on this basis alone

These circumstances do not establish this activity unless separate evidence also meets an inclusion criterion.

5 criteria
  1. 01Criterion

    White Phosphorus Used Primarily for Smoke, Obscuration, Signalling, Marking, or Illumination

    Defined as: Companies and other entities whose white phosphorus munition is primarily designed for smoke, obscuration, signalling, marking, or illumination and whose incendiary effects are incidental. That involvement is assessed under White Phosphorus Smoke, Obscurant, Signalling and Illumination Munitions.

  2. 02Criterion

    Other Incendiary Weapons Without White Phosphorus

    Defined as: Companies and other entities that produce thermite, napalm, metal-powder incendiaries, or other incendiary weapons that do not use white phosphorus as the qualifying agent.

  3. 03Criterion

    Industrial or Civilian White Phosphorus Without an Incendiary-Weapon End Use

    Defined as: Companies and other entities that manufacture, process, sell, or transport white phosphorus for industrial, agricultural, chemical, laboratory, or other civilian uses without an identified incendiary-weapon end use.

  4. 04Criterion

    Training, Simulation, Demilitarization, or Disposal Without Qualifying Incendiary-Weapon Involvement

    Defined as: Companies and other entities whose role is limited to non-combat training, simulation, safety testing, demilitarization, destruction, disposal, remediation, or clearance and that do not otherwise develop, produce, supply, transfer, stockpile, or use qualifying white phosphorus incendiary weapons.

  5. 05Criterion

    Historical-Only White Phosphorus Incendiary-Weapon Involvement

    Defined as: Entities with verified past development, production, assembly, sale, supply, transfer, stockpiling, or use of qualifying white phosphorus incendiary weapons, where reliable evidence establishes that the qualifying activity has fully ceased, been divested, transferred, dismantled, terminated, or otherwise ended and no current qualifying involvement remains. Historical-only activity does not qualify as current involvement. Preserve the historical record separately with the activity period, effective cessation or transfer date, relevant entity, product, programme, facility, or contract, and supporting evidence. Absence of recent evidence alone is not sufficient to establish cessation.

Evidence and evaluation methodology

How sources, entity pathways, decisions, qualifiers, and review history are handled.

Map screens to a client policy

How to choose provider screens, document coverage, and decide what happens after an outcome.

Other screens under White Phosphorus

Taxonomy version 2026.08.21.2, published Aug 21, 2026. Material changes receive a new immutable release so earlier evaluations remain tied to the definitions and criteria used.

White Phosphorus