Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition

Join our winning team to ban cluster bombs!

1 August marks one year since international treaty became law

(Wellington, 1 August 2011): One year after it became international law, campaigners are calling on all states that have not yet done so to join the 2008 treaty banning cluster bombs.

“The best way to stop cluster bombs from being used is to ensure that all governments get on board the international ban now,” said Mary Wareham, coordinator of the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC). “We are winning the battle against cluster bombs, but need everyone to join the team against these deadly weapons to ensure their complete eradication.”

A total of 109 countries are part of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, of which 59 have ratified, including New Zealand. On 1 August 2010, the Convention formally entered into force and all its provisions become fully and legally binding on all countries that have joined. States that have not joined include major powers such as China, Russia, and United States and the Pacific nations of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

“Now that the Convention is international law, we expect all states to adhere to its prohibitions,” said Wareham. “No longer will we tolerate continued use of cluster bombs - enough civilians have suffered from the deadly effects of these weapons.”

There have been two known instances of cluster munition use since the Convention on Cluster Munitions entered into force. In April 2011, government forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi used cluster munitions in residential areas of the city of Misrata. In February 2011, Thailand used cluster munitions on Cambodian territory during a border conflict. Neither Libya nor Thailand have joined the Convention.

Despite these set-backs, overall compliance with the Convention has been impressive. Eight States Parties and at least three signatories have already completed destruction of their stockpiles, destroying more than 589,000 cluster bombs containing more than 64 million explosive submunitions. Two countries­Albania and Zambia­have completed clearance and are now free from the threat of cluster bombs. In the year since the Convention became law, 21 signatories have ratified the convention and Grenada has acceded.

The ANZCMC is holding a public event in Wellington on Thursday, 11 August to celebrate the achievements of the Convention and to mark the count down to its Second Meeting of States Parties, which will be held in Beirut, Lebanon from 12-16 September 2011. This is part of a series of actions by campaigners in more than 50 countries to mark the first anniversary of the Convention and urge all countries to join it.

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