22 May 2009

Launch of New Report - Banning Cluster Munitions

BANNING CLUSTER MUNITIONS Government Policy and Practice was released on 29 May 2009. The report documents the creation of an international treaty banning cluster munitions. It looks at governments’ engagement in the Oslo Process, a diplomatic initiative started by Norway in February 2007 to create a legally-binding instrument outlawing cluster munitions and establishing a framework for clearing contaminated areas and meeting the needs of cluster munition victims. The report also considers government practice with respect to the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions.Banning Cluster Munitions, a 288-page report, contains entries on 150 countries, including signatories to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, countries that stockpile the weapon, and affected states. This report was prepared by Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action on behalf of Landmine Monitor. Representatives from Human Rights Watch and Landmine Action co-chair the Cluster Munition Coalition, the civil society campaign that helped to secure international support for the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
In 2009, the Landmine Monitor Annual Report will continue to provide information on cluster munitions clearance, casualties, risk education, and victim assistance. Separate reporting on these issues will be provided in 2010. -- Landmine Action