Olso Process continues in Dublin - May 19th to May 30th
Not since the 1970's has the international community been so determined to pass an international treaty on cluster bombs. The impetus was borne from last year's bombing in southern Lebanon, killing hundreds of civilians, and the continued recognition of the long term harm of cluster bombs (24 countries are affected by cluster bombs and over 76 countries have stockpiles of these weapons).
The Lao story is a critical voice to this process, given it is the most bombed country and continues to be severely affected. In addition to the exhibition, there will also be a luncheon briefing on the Lao case, co-sponsored by Landmine Action Network and the UNDP on the opening day of the meeting, Monday, May 19th from 2pm to 3pm at Ashe Suite, Croke Park.
Titus Peachey, member of the Legacies Advisory Board and staff at Mennonite Central Committee will speak at a panel, “Why history should not repeat itself: lessons from the 1970s effort to ban cluster bombs” on Thursday, May 22 from 2pm – 3pm at Ashe Suite, Croke Park.
The treaty negotiations process started just over a year ago in Oslo, and has since met in New Zealand and Peru. The meeting in Dublin is to hammer out the final terms of the agreement, with the treaty expected to be signed in Oslo this fall. This would be a tremendous victory for the peace and security field and will help victims today and limit the deaths of civilians in future conflicts.
Although the U.S. is not participating in this process, the passage of an international treaty to ban cluster bombs, similar to the Mine Ban Treaty (1997), would put international pressure on the U.S. to unofficially comply with the treaty. Since the passage of the international ban on landmines, these weapons have been so stigmatized that the U.S. has not produced or used these weapons.
If you would like to learn more about the process or the issue, please visit the Cluster Munitions Campaign, of which Legacies is a member, http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/.
More information on the Oslo Process and Cluster Bombs
Source: Cluster Munitions Coalition www.stopclustermunitions.org:
What is the Oslo Process?
In February 2007, forty-six governments met in Oslo to endorse a call by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to conclude a new legally binding instrument in 2008 that prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians and provide adequate resources to assist survivors and clear contaminated areas. http://clusterprocess.org/ <https://mail.npaid.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://clusterprocess.org/>
What are cluster bombs?
Cluster munitions are large weapons which are deployed from the air or from the ground and release dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions. Submunitions released by air-dropped cluster bombs are most often called "bomblets," while those delivered from the ground are usually referred to as "grenades."
What's the problem with this weapon?
Air-dropped or ground-launched, they cause two major humanitarian problems and risks to civilians. First, their widespread deployment means they cannot distinguish between military targets and civilians so the humanitarian impact can be extreme when the weapon is used in or near populated areas.
Secondly, many bomblets fail to detonate on impact and become de facto antipersonnel mines killing and maiming people long after the conflict has ended. These duds are however more lethal than antipersonnel mines; incidents involving submunition duds are much more likely to cause death than injury.
Who has used cluster munitions?
At least 14 countries have used cluster munitions: Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Israel, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Russia (USSR), Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, UK, US, and FR Yugoslavia. A small number of non-state armed groups have used the weapon (such as Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006). Billions of submunitions are stockpiled by some 76 countries. A total of 34 states are known to have produced over 210 different types cluster munitions. At least 24 countries have been affected by the use of cluster munitions including Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Croatia, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Vietnam.
Why is a ban on cluster munitions necessary?
Simply put, cluster munitions kill and injure too many civilians. The weapon caused more civilian casualties in Iraq in 2003 and Kosovo in 1999 than any other weapon system.
Cluster munitions stand out as the weapon that poses the gravest dangers to civilians since antipersonnel mines, which were banned in 1997. Yet there is currently no provision in international law to specifically address problems caused by cluster munitions. Israel's massive use of the weapon in Lebanon in August 2006 resulted in more than 200 civilian casualties in the year following the ceasefire and served as a catalyst that has propelled governments to attempt to secure a legally-binding international instrument tackling cluster munitions in 2008.
