The 2008 convention on cluster munitions is a legally binding international treaty that comprehensively prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of. It was ratified on november 5th, 2010 and it entered into force on may 1st, 2011. Cluster munitions international committee of the red cross. The convention on cluster munitions ccm is a humanitarian imperativedriven legal instrument which prohibits all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The convention will enter into force on 1 august 2010, and the first meeting of states parties will be held in lao pdr in november. Plus hes held a lot of the most important jobs in the army, including at the armys home of artillery. This type of ordnance, which can be delivered by several means,18 consists of a container that releases submunitions, or bomblets, while in flight.
It is also based on international humanitarian law. The purpose of the convention is to provide a comprehensive international response to the suffering caused by the use of cluster munitions and. A guide to cluster munitions the convention on cluster. When dropped, the bomb is designed to open midair and distribute the bomblets so that they, on impact, will explode and affect an area that can be as. Dublin 19 30 may 2008 convention on cluster munitions, ccm 77, 30 may 2008 excerpt article 1 general obligations and scope of application 1. Adopted on 30 may 2008 during a diplomatic conference held in dublin, it was the culmination of a process begun in oslo in february 2007, following the failure of the convention. The convention on cluster munitions ccm prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of. Miliband and steinmeier said their goal was a truly global treaty on cluster munitions, while noting that many of the major users, producers and stockpilers of cluster munitions had not yet. Convention on cluster munitions the issues monitor. The convention on cluster munitions and the evolution of international humanitarian law bonnie docherty human rights quarterly, volume 31, number 4, november 2009, pp. Convention on cluster munitions tke states parties to this convention, deeply concerned that civilian populations and individual civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict, determined to put an end for all time to the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions at the time of their use, when they fail to function. Convention on cluster munitions, international treaty, adopted by more than 100 countries on may 30, 2008, that prohibited the manufacture, transfer, and use of cluster munitions. The guide is intended particularly for governments facing a cluster munitions problem.
Model law convention on cluster munitions the convention on. The 2008 convention on cluster munitions prohibits use, development, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions, as defined. The convention on cluster munitions ccm prohibits the use, possession, production and transfer of cluster munitions and requires the destruction of existing stocks. Should not join the convention on cluster munitions. I am confident that under the presidents able leadership this meeting will turn out to be most productive, thereby helping to address the widespread human suffering caused by cluster munitions. Convention on cluster munitions reporting formats for article 7 of the convention on cluster munitions state party. First is the fact that whatever legitimate role cluster munitions may be applied to, their nature and characteristics lend themselves so easily to. In addition, it establishes a framework for cooperation and assistance to ensure adequate assistance to survivors and their communities, clearance of contaminated. Government policy and practice, which was researched and written by human rights watch and landmine action now action on armed violence, and published by. Cluster munitions, which by design deliver submunitions over a wide area, are a speci. A cluster bomb can contain anywhere from nine to several hundred bomblets.
Convention on cluster munitions the states parties to this convention, deeply concerned that civilian populations and individual civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict, determined to put an end for all time to the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions at the time of their use, when they fail to function as intended or when they. Fact sheet convention on cluster munitions the convention on cluster munitions ccm was opened for signature in oslo on 3 december 2008 and entered into force on 1 august 2010. Concerned that cluster munition remnants kill or maim civilians. The convention on cluster munitions the ccm is the international treaty of more than 100 states that addresses the humanitarian consequences and unacceptable harm caused to civilians by cluster munitions, through a categorical prohibition and a framework for action. The us maintains that cluster munitions have military utility, but, with the exception of a single strike in yemen in 2009, it has not used them since 2003 in iraq. Convention text the convention on cluster munitions. Convention on cluster munitions the states parties to this convention, deeply concerned that civilian populations and individual civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict, determined to put an end for all time to the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions at the time of their use, when they fail to function as intended or when they are abandoned.
States parties and signatories by region the convention. The humanitarian objection to cluster munitions therefore arises mainly from two properties of this class of weapons. The convention on cluster munitions bans all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Will keep older cluster munitions, a weapon banned by 102 nations. Cluster munitions kill and injure large numbers of civilians and cause long lasting socioeconomic problems. Cluster munitions or cluster bombs are weapons that consist of one carrier container filled with separate bomblets. Abandoned cluster munitions means cluster munitions or explosive submunitions that have not been used and that have been left behind or dumped, and that. The strength of the treaty is largely due to the prohibition on cluster munitions as an entire category of weapons. Cluster munition monitor, now in its tenth edition, was first released in 2010 and builds upon the 2009 report banning cluster munitions. Will keep older cluster munitions, a weapon banned by. Implementation of the convention on cluster munitions unog. Potential issues for congress include cluster munitions in an era of precision weapons, other weapons in lieu of cluster munitions, and the potential impact of dods 2017 revised cluster munitions policy. The momentum for a treaty banning cluster munitions derived from the harm caused to civilian populations.
How dumb cluster bombs are becoming heinously smart. Dublin, 30 may 2008 the convention was ratified by the united kingdom on the 4 may 2010 and entered into force for the united kingdom on the 1 november 2010 presented to parliament by the secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs by command of her majesty august 2011. The negotiators rejected proposals for broad exceptions from the ban and for a transition period during which cluster munitions could still be. The role of ngo activism in the implementation of the convention on cluster munitions thomas nash thomas nash joined the international cluster munition coalition cmc in early 2004 and has served as coordinator throughout the successful global campaign to. The convention on cluster munitions is a misbegotten treaty that neither advances the laws of war nor enhances security. The convention was adopted on 30 may 2008 in dublin, and was opened for signature on 3 december 2008 in oslo. Convention on cluster munitions convention on cluster munitions determined also to ensure the full realisation of the rights of all cluster munition victims and recognising their inherent dignity, resolved to do their utmost in providing assistance to clus ter munition victims, including medical care, rehabilitation and.
The convention on cluster munitions ccm prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions. The following year the european parliament called upon european union members to cease the production, export, and use of cluster munitions and to work toward an international treaty. The convention also sets legal precedent in three ways. Convention on cluster munitions human rights watch. Implementation of the convention on cluster munitions. As with the previous edition, this second edition of a guide to cluster munitions provides information on the impact of cluster munitions on civilians and practical steps on how to prevent and address that impact.
Some cluster munitions disperse only two bomblets while others can spread up to hundreds of submunitions over a large area. The convention on cluster munitions is a historic achievement. Cluster munitions target an area rather than a single point. Cluster munition coalition international organization. The last known use of cluster munitions by the united states military was. Convention on cluster munitions international treaty. The 2008 convention on cluster munitions was adopted by 107 states on 30 may 2008 at a specially convened diplomatic conference.
The 2008 convention on cluster munitions prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions and requires states to ensure that they claim no further victims. Convention on cluster munitions arms control association. Each state party undertakes never under any circumstances to. The role of ngo activism in the implementation of the. Click here for the full report 12 pdf pages, hosted on the website of the federation of american scientists.
Cluster munitions do not distinguish between civilians and combatants and can leave behind unexploded ordnance which can harm civilians and be detrimental to economic and social development for decades after use. It is an unverifiable, unenforceable, allornothing exercise in. Convention on cluster munitions legislation for common law states on the 2008 convention on cluster munitions. Such a report shall be prepared for each year during. Cluster bombs are banned under the convention on cluster munitions ccm, an international treaty that addresses the humanitarian consequences and unacceptable harm caused to civilians by cluster munitions through a categorical prohibition and a framework for action. Recalling its resolutions 6371 of 2 december 2008 on the. This guide to cluster munitions provides practical information to those engaged in addressing the impact of unexploded cluster munitions on civilians. The convention entered into force on 1 august 2010. Cluster munitions are characterized as bombs or shells that consist of an outer. The convention on cluster munitions ccm entered into force in 2010. Cluster munitions ccm, thereby bringing the total number of ratifications to 30 and thus triggering the sixmonth countdown to entry into force.
It opened for signature on 3 december 2008, and entered into force on 1 august 2010. Convention on cluster munitions e united nations office. Moreover, unexploded duds lying around form a lifethreatening hazard for civilians long after. Fifth meeting of states parties to the convention on. The convention on cluster munitions prohibits all use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions.
Cluster munitions have a widearea effect, which makes them inherently inaccurate when used. The convention on cluster munitions was adopted by 107 countries on 30 may 2008 in dublin, ireland. After decades of seeing civilians suffer with each new use of cluster munitions, and in the face of an inadequate response in other fora, norway launched the oslo process on cluster munitions in february 2007 by inviting governments supporting the development of new rules on cluster munitions to a conference in oslo. Convention on cluster munitions how is convention on. At the end of 2018, 79% of known areas contaminated with cluster munitions had been cleared and. Yet, the cluster bomb concept has evolved from the dumbest of dumb bombs into a more targeted and discriminating weapon. The convention on cluster munitions ccm is an international treaty that prohibits the use, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster bombs, a type of explosive weapon which scatters submunitions bomblets over an area. Cluster munitions, also called cluster bombs or cbus, are gravity bombs, artillery shells, and rockets that fragment into small bomblets or grenades. The issue of cluster munitions has risen to prominence in recent years and received strong public attention in 2011. The convention on cluster munitions and the evolution of international humanitarian law bonnie docherty abstract the 2008 convention on cluster munitions comprehensively bans a weapon that causes civilian casualties both during and after attacks.