Table of Contents
Global Ban on Cluster Munitions Urgently Needs Renewed Momentum
Overview
Fifteen years ago, the Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted in Dublin, Ireland. This global treaty aimed to eradicate the harm caused by cluster munitions, which indiscriminately kill and wound civilians and leave unexploded duds like landmines. However, the ban is being tested as never before, and greater international efforts are needed to ensure its success. Several countries outside the convention, including Russia, have produced or used cluster munitions, causing hundreds of civilian casualties and damaging civilian objects, including hospitals, homes, and schools. Cluster munitions are a type of weapon that is delivered by artillery, missiles, aircraft, and rockets, and they work by dispersing bomblets over a wide area. The remnants can stay active for years and kill civilians indiscriminately until they are destroyed. The Convention on Cluster Munitions outlaws the production, use, acquisition, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions. It also requires the clearance of contaminated areas by cluster munitions and the provision of victim assistance.
The Record of Compliance
There have been no reports or allegations of new use, production, or transfers of cluster munitions by the 123 countries that have signed or ratified the convention. Since the convention was adopted, 37 states parties have destroyed a total of nearly 1.5 million stockpiled cluster munitions and over 178 million submunitions. This total of destruction is 99 percent of the cluster munitions that states parties have reported stockpiling. The total number of states parties includes 17 former producers of cluster munitions. However, 16 non-signatories have not ceased production, including China and Russia, both of which are researching and developing new types of cluster munitions. The United States last produced cluster munitions in 2016. However, it still has not complied with the call to reverse a 2017 policy that opened the way for the resumption of production of these weapons. Bulgaria, Peru, and Slovakia continue to make progress toward meeting the treaty’s stockpile destruction obligation.
The Urgent Need for Renewed Momentum
Cluster munitions continue to harm and kill civilians in countries that are not part of the ban, including Russia, Ukraine, and Syria. The pace of countries joining the ban has slowed significantly, and only Nigeria has ratified it in the past three years. Therefore, greater international effort is necessary to ensure that the treaty succeeds in eradicating the harm wrought by cluster munitions. Human Rights Watch’s Arms Director, Steve Goose, stated that to prevent human suffering, countries must make greater efforts to withhold and eradicate these “heinous weapons.” Although the convention’s member states have shown impressive compliance, current global challenges need to be overcome if the treaty is to achieve its objectives. The recent review conference, set for September 11-14, 2023, will provide an excellent opportunity for leaders around the world to tackle these challenges together.
Editorial and Advice
Cluster munitions inflict devastating harm upon civilians, and they have no place in modern warfare. The ban on cluster munitions is a significant step towards preventing civilian casualties, but greater global momentum is needed to ensure its success. Therefore, it is essential for countries that have not yet ratified the convention to commit to it. Additionally, countries that have signed it must actively abide by its provisions, including destroying their stockpiles. The United States should lead the way in reversing its decision to reopen production of cluster munitions. Furthermore, global citizens should pressure their governments to support efforts to eradicate cluster munitions truly. As Steven Goose stated, there is a collective responsibility among countries that have endorsed the ban to end the harm caused by cluster munitions. Therefore no more delay, time is now to act.
<< photo by Kelly Sikkema >>