1. INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Convention on the brink of 30th ratification
Two new ratifications during December have put the Convention on Cluster Munitions on the brink of entering into force. Just four more ratifications are now needed for the Convention to reach the threshold of 30 required for entry into force six months later.
On 22 December both New Zealand and Belgium deposited their ratification instruments, making them the 25th and 26th countries respectively to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Ambassador Jim McLay, New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York, deposited his government’s ratification instrument on 22 December. Later that same day, H.E. Mr. Thomas Lambert, Belgium’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York deposited his government’s ratification instrument.
Ambassador Jim McLay, New Zealand’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, deposits his government’s ratification instrument. USCBL campaigner Zach Hudson witnessed the deposit. Photo Credit: UN Treaty Section
On 15 December, Ambassador Michel Tommo Monthe, Cameroon’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, signed the Convention, bringing the total number of signatories to 104 signatories, including 37 African nations.
Outcomes of the Cartagena Summit on a Mine Free World
Campaigners took advantage of the many States represented at the Cartagena Summit in Colombia and carried out numerous lobbying meetings on the Convention. CMC members lobbied for signature of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in high-level meetings (including with Cambodia, Jordan, and Sudan) and other government outreach (including with Ethiopia, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Serbia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam). CMC urged swift ratification in high-level meetings with signatories Afghanistan, Australia, Canada and Uganda.
During the Summit, CMC staff Laura Cheeseman and Kim Brown met with 74 campaigners to discuss their campaign priorities, actions and ideas for a successful year of advocacy in 2010 which resulted in a 2010 Action Plan. The CMC Action Plan contains plans for working towards a successful First Meeting of States Parties in Lao PDR in November 2010, including working to achieve more signatures and ratifications to the Convention as well as for early implementation; ideas on how to mark key milestones such as entry into force day and launching a 100 day countdown to the 1MSP; campaigning plans, ideas and target countries in each region; key networks, tools and campaigning activities and a 2010 calendar laying out key dates and opportunities to promote the Convention.
A number of states reported on cluster munitions during the conference, including Albania who announced that it was cluster bomb free. At the side event on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Lao PDR gave a powerful speech on the human suffering of people in Lao from cluster munitions and gave an update on the First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP), which is tentatively scheduled for November 2010. During the plenary, eleven states reaffirmed their commitment to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and gave updates on progress towards ratification. Cameroon announced that it would soon sign the treaty, and did so on 15 December at the United Nations in New York.
Check out photos courtesy of Mary Wareham: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marywareham/sets/72157622881795488/
2. MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH
El Mundo (Spain), 1 December 2009
Mutilados Fútbol Club
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/11/30/internacional/1259608863.html
EFE, 2 December 2009
Photograph of Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos (from Quad Rugby match in Cartagena) http://ar.news.yahoo.com/foto/02122009/24/foto/photos-n-world-photo-6331819-photo-text-acitividades-ii.html
SR Radio Sweden, 3 December 2009
Ban on cluster bombs still not ratified
http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/international/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?nyheter=1&programid=2054&Artikel=3281978
The Independent (UK), 6 December 2009
The world is winning the landmine war
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/the-world-is-winning-the-landmine-war-1835050.html
Thanh Nien (Vietnam), 7 December 2009
Boy with no face uses big heart to help UXO victims
http://www.thanhniennews.com/education/?catid=4&newsid=54096
Vistazo (Ecuador), 8 December 2009
Prohibición de municiones racimo, acto de humanidad
http://www.vistazo.com/webpages/columnas/?id=8213
DutchNews.nl, 8 December 2009
MPs back ban on cluster bomb investment
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2009/12/mps_back_ban_on_cluster_bomb_i.php
Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 9 December 2009
Dutch investments in cluster bombs banned
http://www.rnw.nl/nl/node/44519
The Scotsman (UK), 9 December 2009
13m cluster bombs have already been destroyed, says minister http://news.scotsman.com/politics/13m-cluster-bombs-have-already.5894432.jp
ReliefWeb, 9 December 2009
Iraq: Cluster treaty approval should inspire neighbours to join
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7YKQ6Y?OpenDocument
MSNBC.com, 9 December 2009
Who did Obama beat out for the Nobel?
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/12/09/2146582.aspx
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 10 December 2009
Georgia’s Gori district successfully demined
http://www.rferl.org/content/Georgias_Gori_District_Successfully_Demined_/1900673.html
TVNZ (New Zealand), 11 December 2009
NZ bans cluster munitions
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/nz-bans-cluster-munitions-3251194
Counterpunch, 11-13 December 2009
The Land Mines Obama Won’t Touch
http://www.counterpunch.org/moyers12112009.html
The Daily Star (Lebanon), 15 December 2009
UN political leaders call for human rights advances in Lebanon
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=109781
United Press International (UPI), 18 December 2009
New Zealand is latest to ban cluster bombs
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2009/12/18/New-Zealand-is-latest-to-ban-cluster-bombs/UPI-59021261164244/
The Huffington Post, 21 December 2009
Lebanon’s leftover subterranean scourge
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-galey/lebanons-leftover-subterr_b_399532.html
RTBF (Belgium), 23 December 2009
La Belgique ratifie la Convention sur les armes à sous-munitions
http://www.rtbf.be/info/economie/la-belgique-a-ratifie-a-lonu-la-convention-sur-les-armes-a-sous-munitions-172469
Associated Press, 23 December 2009
Two countries ratify cluster bomb ban convention
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/23/two-countries-ratify-cluster-bomb-ban-convention.html
Associated Press, 23 December 2009
New Zealand ratifies cluster bomb ban convention
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/wires.php?id=3345560_new-zealand-cluster-bombs-wellington-new-zealand-new-zealand-ratifies-cluster-bomb-ban-convention
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3. CAMPAIGN AND COUNTRY UPDATES
Canada: Participants from MAC’s Youth Leader Forum held in Colombia during the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World (29 November-5 December) were invited by the President of the Cartagena Summit and the Vice-President of Colombia to present a declaration from the youth in the closing session of the Summit. Mr. Gul Nabi from Afghanistan and Ms Ndèye-Khoudia Ndiaye from France presented the declaration on behalf of the Forum to the over 1,000 government delegates and campaigners from around the world. Following their declaration, the Summit President presented the youth with a copy of the Cartagena Declaration signed by governments and asked the youth to hold them accountable for fulfilling the promises made over the next five years. To read the Youth Forum’s report and watch a video of them delivering their declaration, visit: http://www.minesactioncanada.org/index.cfm?fuse=learn.news-details&ID=394
Nancy Ingram, Mines Action Canada: nancy@minesactioncanada.org
The delegates of MAC’s 2009 Youth Leaders Forum in Cartagena, Colombia. Photo Credit: Mines Action Canada
Moldova: With funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norwegian People’s Aid is assisting the Moldovan government in the development of a pilot stockpile destruction project to ensure that cluster munitions are safely destroyed. Emphasis is also being placed on national ownership, capacity building and the ability to salvage all available value from the disposal. In a press statement, NPA has encouraged Moldova to be “included in the 30 world leaders that will ensure the Convention comes into force by rapid ratification of the Convention by the Government”. For the full story, visit http://www.npaid.org/?module=Articles;action=Article.publicShow;ID=8840
Lee Moroney, Norwegian People’s Aid: lpm_mobile@hotmail.com
New Zealand: On 10 December, the Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill had its second and final readings in the New Zealand parliament. Eight parliamentarians spoke over the course of the hour-long debate before the legislation was unanimously adopted. The legislation, which governs New Zealand’s implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, was signed into law by Governor-General on 17 December paving the way for the deposit of New Zealand’s ratification instrument on 22 December. The Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC) held an event on 15 December to celebrate the new law and ratification that was attended by Hon. Georgina Te Heuheu, New Zealand’s Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, and other politicians, demining experts, and campaigners. The ANZCMC has prepared a critique of the legislation that is available on its website. See: http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2009/12/11/cluster-bomb-ban-law-passes/
Mary Wareham, ANZCMC, wareham@hrw.org
Serbia: Experienced activists including mine and cluster munition survivors launched “Assistance Advocacy Access Serbia” (PPPS: Podrska. Prava. Pristup – Srbija) in December 2009 to campaign for victim assistance in the country. The association’s activities begin with a national needs assessment and the creation of the first database on survivors for the implementation of much-needed services and referrals. PPPS will advocate for Serbia’s swift signature of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, fulfillment of Mine Ban Treaty obligations – particularly victim assistance – and the full enforcement of disability legislation and policy following Serbia’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009.
Jelena Vicentic, Assistance Advocacy Access Serbia: assistance.advocacy.access@gmail.com
Syria: On 2 December, Dr Ghassan Shahrour of Syria received the International Star of Hope Award 2009 from the Centro Integral de Rehabilitación de Colombia (CIREC) and the Vice President’s Office of Colombia, during the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in Cartagena, Colombia. Ghassan, a long-time campaigner in the movements to ban antipersonnel mines and cluster munitions, paid special thanks to CIREC and the Vice President of Colombia and noted that the award recognised the contribution of many ICBL/CMC campaigners in achieving enabling environments for persons with disabilities.
Ghassan Shahrour, Arab Net for Research on LM & ERW: Ghassan.dr@gmail.com
United Kingdom: On 8 December, the Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords. As in previous debates, this saw substantial well-informed engagement from a number of Peers from all Parties. In addition to discussing areas dealt with in the Bill, Parliamentarians also discussed the issue of foreign stockpiling of cluster munitions on UK territory as well as work being undertaken by the UK Government to promote the Convention internationally. The Government provided a concrete timeline for the removal of foreign stockpiles, stating that they would be removed from sites in the UK by 2010 and from all UK territories by 2013. On universalisation, the Government stated that it would continue to promote the CCM among Commonwealth countries and that it would liaise with civil society on this work.
Portia Stratton, Landmine Action: pstratton@landmineaction.org.uk
United Kingdom: The Royal Society of Medicine’s new president Mr Nigel Trimmings MRCS LRCP FRCS invited Kate Moore MBE, an Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) board member, to give the presidential address to the Society’s Orthopaedics Section in London on 1 December 2009. The address, titled “The Road to Oslo and Beyond,” included a screening of Chris Anderson’s short film “Unacceptable Harm”. Kate covered the Oslo Process time frame from November 2006 through to the Convention’s signing ceremony in Oslo and the current status of the Convention, including which states have signed and ratified. The aims of the Orthopaedics Section are to “advance the study of orthopaedics and traumatic surgery”. The very well-attended event was advertised as one of importance to all sections and levels of the RSM for its education potential for the prevention of needless human suffering.
Kate Moore, AOAV: kate@kate-george.co.uk
Nigel Trimmings and Kate Moore at the Royal Society of Medicine dinner in London Photo credit: Kate Moore
USA: The article Breaking New Ground: The Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Evolution of International Humanitarian Law, was written by Bonnie Docherty and published in Human Rights Quarterly in November. (While Bonnie works at Human Rights Watch, she wrote this publication in her personal capacity.) The article looks at the legal precedent set by the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which broke new legal ground on a number of fronts, in particular by strengthening the humanitarian obligations imposed by weapons treaties. This article examines the precedent the treaty sets in a variety of areas, including victim assistance, user states’ responsibility to clean up the ordnance they left behind, and the regulation of non-state armed groups. To request a copy of the article please contact: Bonnie Docherty, Human Rights Watch: docherb@hrw.org
International: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement adopted Resolution 12.1 named Movement Strategy on Landmines, Cluster Munitions and other Explosive Remnants of War: Reducing the effects of Weapons on Civilians on 23-25 November in Nairobi, Kenya. Campaigners can use this document as a strategic way to engage with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies at the country level. The document can be found in English, French, Arabic and Spanish under Item 12 using the following link: http://www.rcstandcom.info/cod2009/council_pre_docs_2009.shtml
Kimberly Brown, CMC Staff: Kimberly@stopclustermunitions.org
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4. TAKE ACTION
Help to ensure that the 30th ratification happens in the month of January
So far, 104 governments have signed the Convention and 26 countries have ratified it. Which four countries will make it into the visionary group of 30 that bring the treaty into force? Make sure your government signs and ratifies the Convention on Cluster Munitions!
Five countries have completed domestic ratification of the Convention and are now poised to deposit: Burkina Faso, Denmark, Ecuador, Montenegro, and Togo. Campaigners can help to make sure that these countries deposit their ratification instruments in the coming weeks, thus triggering entry into force.
Check out the resources section of the CMC website for template letters, action cards, posters and other campaigning tools: http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/campaign-resources/
Laura Cheeseman: CMC Staff: Laura@stopclustermunitions.org
Regional opportunities to promote the CCM:
A number of upcoming meetings provide opportunities to promote the CCM. Campaigners should approach supportive governments within these regions so that the CCM can be raised at the following events:
- 17-22 Jan: Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), Singapore
- 26 Jan-3 Feb: African Union Summit, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- 14-16 Feb: NATO Parliamentary Assembly joint committee meeting, Brussels, Belgium
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5. UPCOMING EVENTS
March 2010
1 11th anniversary of the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty
26-28 (TBC) Regional meeting on Convention on Cluster Munitions in Pretoria, South Africa/ UN Mine Action Programme Directors meeting
June 2010
(TBC) Global Preparatory Meeting on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Viña del Mar, Chile