On August 1st this year a global treaty banning the use of cluster bombs has become International law, and according to Amnesty International, the Irish Government played a leading role in negotiating the treaty when it was agreed in Dublin in May 2008.
The Irish Government, as well as spearheading the talks at the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), was also one of the first states to ratify the treaty, in December 2008.
The effect of the treaty will be to force the ban on use, production, storage and transfer of cluster bombs. It will also force the destruction of existing stockpiles within eight years and makes provisions to assist survivors and their communities.
Amnesty International Ireland Executive Director Colm O’Gorman said: “Cluster munitions are one of the most terrible weapons used in war. They have killed and maimed countless thousands of men, women and children. They are the single biggest threat to civilians since landmines, which were banned in 1999.”
“We can be especially proud of the role Ireland played in banning these weapons,” said Colm O’Gorman. “The Irish Government brokered the final deal in two weeks of intense negotiations in Croke Park in May 2008 involving countries from around the world, human rights campaigners and the survivors of cluster bombs.”
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the Secretary-General welcomed the progress made on the global disarmament agenda, and noted that “the Convention’s entry into force just two years after its adoption demonstrates the world’s collective revulsion at the impact of these terrible weapons.”
“The United Nations is firmly committed to ending the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and mitigating the suffering they cause. The Secretary-General calls on all States to become a party to the Convention without delay,” concluded the statement from the UN spokesperson.
Thomas Nash, Coordinator of the Cluster Munitions Coalition, an alliance of organisations who campaigned for the treaty, said: “Campaigners around the world are celebrating a triumph of humanitarian values over a cruel and unjust weapon.
“At a time when concern over civilian deaths in conflict is in the news, this treaty stands out as a clear example of what governments must do to protect civilians and redress the harm caused by cluster bombs, by assisting victims and making land safe.”
Cluster Bombs
A cluster bomb is a large weapon that contains dozens, often hundreds, of smaller bombs, called bomblets. The bomb breaks open in mid-air, scattering the bomblets across an area the size of several football fields. This means they can hit anyone, military or civilian, in that space.
The Irish Government, as well as spearheading the talks at the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), was also one of the first states to ratify the treaty, in December 2008.
The effect of the treaty will be to force the ban on use, production, storage and transfer of cluster bombs. It will also force the destruction of existing stockpiles within eight years and makes provisions to assist survivors and their communities.
Amnesty International Ireland Executive Director Colm O’Gorman said: “Cluster munitions are one of the most terrible weapons used in war. They have killed and maimed countless thousands of men, women and children. They are the single biggest threat to civilians since landmines, which were banned in 1999.”
“We can be especially proud of the role Ireland played in banning these weapons,” said Colm O’Gorman. “The Irish Government brokered the final deal in two weeks of intense negotiations in Croke Park in May 2008 involving countries from around the world, human rights campaigners and the survivors of cluster bombs.”
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the Secretary-General welcomed the progress made on the global disarmament agenda, and noted that “the Convention’s entry into force just two years after its adoption demonstrates the world’s collective revulsion at the impact of these terrible weapons.”
“The United Nations is firmly committed to ending the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and mitigating the suffering they cause. The Secretary-General calls on all States to become a party to the Convention without delay,” concluded the statement from the UN spokesperson.
Thomas Nash, Coordinator of the Cluster Munitions Coalition, an alliance of organisations who campaigned for the treaty, said: “Campaigners around the world are celebrating a triumph of humanitarian values over a cruel and unjust weapon.
“At a time when concern over civilian deaths in conflict is in the news, this treaty stands out as a clear example of what governments must do to protect civilians and redress the harm caused by cluster bombs, by assisting victims and making land safe.”
Cluster Bombs
A cluster bomb is a large weapon that contains dozens, often hundreds, of smaller bombs, called bomblets. The bomb breaks open in mid-air, scattering the bomblets across an area the size of several football fields. This means they can hit anyone, military or civilian, in that space.
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