01 September 2016

Cluster Munition Monitor 2016

Today the Cluster Munition Monitor 2016 was launched at the United Nations Office in Geneva, hosted by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). In parallel the report is being released by national campaigns in several countries.

The 2016 report covers global developments in ban policy, survey and clearance of cluster munition remnants, casualties and victim assistance. The complete report and press release and major findings (in English, French, Spanish and Arabic) can be downloaded from the Monitor website.

After many years of advocacy by the Cluster Munition Coalition, Cluster Munition Coalition-US  and other campaign members, yesterday, Textron, one of the largest producers of globally banned cluster munitions announced it will stop producing cluster munitions. Textron, a US company has produced CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW), which has been transferred to Saudi Arabia and used in Yemen over the past one year. Textron has been the only cluster munitions producer in the US.

Next week the international community including 100 States Parties, 19 signatories to the Convention on Cluster Munitions will come together for the Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the convention in Geneva.

Ayman Sorour, PROTECTION EGYPT and Anwar al-Rasheed, Gulf Forum for Civil Societies at the Cluster Munition Report 2016 launch in Kuwait city. 1 September 2016. (c)PROTECTION