Nations Convene to Discuss Ban of Cluster Munitions

By Andrew Benfield
Senior Desk Officer, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – From February 18-22, 2008, more than 100 nations gathered for the Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions in Wellington, New Zealand.  The Conference convened in an effort to draft a treaty that prohibits the “use, production, stockpiling, and trade of cluster munitions.”  Also, the treaty included provisions requiring “clearance of contaminated areas and assistance to victims.” 

Cluster munitions are weapons made up of “multiple explosive submunitions which are dispensed from a container.”  Submunitions are designed to dispense “multiple quantities from a container and detonate prior to, on, or after impact.” 

Nearly fourteen countries have used cluster munitions in at least thirty countries and areas.  In addition, thirty four countries have produced 210 different types of air-dropped and surface-launched cluster munitions while at least “thirteen countries have transferred more than 50 types of cluster munitions to at least 60 countries.”

Many of the “main users” of cluster munitions (Israel, United States and Russia) did not attend the conference.  However, over 75 percent of the present and past producers and users of cluster munitions attended the conference. 

The Wellington Conference produced a draft of a treaty on cluster munitions that 82 nations endorsed.  The treaty moved the world “closer to a ban on weapons that cause horrific civilian casualties.”  These cluster munitions casualties primarily occur in the nations of Cambodia, Laos, Lebanon and Indonesia.   

Two major humanitarian concerns arise from the use of cluster munitions: first, their explosion virtually guarantees civilian casualties when released in populated areas; second, many of the munitions fail to explode on impact and remain on the ground affective landmines. 

At the conference, there were three major attempts to weaken the treaty’s reach.  First, there was an effort to “exempt certain types of cluster munitions or technologies” from  the ban completely.  Second, there was an attempt to instate a “transition period” during which these band weapons could still be used.  Finally, there was an attempt to eliminate provisions of the treaty that prohibited nations from “assisting” other nations, not party to the treaty, with the use of cluster munitions. 

Participants in the Conference have urged voting members to “hold fast to the Wellington text” when the drafted treaty comes up for formal negotiations in Dublin, Ireland in May. 

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – 82 Countries Endorse Strong Ban on Cluster Munitions – 22 February 2008

RTT News – US Rejects Accusation Of Trying To Stall Cluster Bomb Pact – 21 February 2008

Stop Cluster Munitions – Cluster Munition Coalition – October 2007