Cluster Munitions Coalition

The Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC) is an international coalition working to protect civilians from the effects of cluster munitions by promoting universal adherence to and full implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The CMC has a membership of around 300 civil society organisations from more than 80 countries - including the UKPAC, who were one of the first organisations to join the Coalition in 2003. The CMC facilitates the efforts of NGOs worldwide to educate governments, the public and the media about the problems of cluster munitions and the solution through the global treaty banning the weapon.

This is the end! (24 November 2011)

The end is near for CCW negotiations on cluster munitions. Dsicusssions this week on the first and second revisions of the draft text clearly demonstrated that there is no consensus, not by a long way.

The reaction on Monday and Tuesday to the text of a possible Protocol V1 on cluster munitions distributed by French Chair Amb. Damon on Friday revealed virtually no substantial shifts in countries' positions and little possibility for a text with meaningful changes. Countries remain polarized over the direction in which the text should move.

Kay Richmond

The UKPAC's representive to the CMC is Dr Kay Richmond. Read her latest report to the UKPAC's meeting at the link. And also on this site is the Cluster Munitions Monitor report.

Convention is now International Law

The Convention on Cluster Munitions was signed by 94 countries at the Oslo Signing Conference in December 2008, and it entered into force on 1 August 2010, after 30 states ratified it by 16 February 2010. CMC have produced a four-page brochure, entitled Beat the Drum, which gives information on how we can celebrate this event around the country.

The 30 signatories are:

1. Norway (3.12.08)	2. Ireland (3.12.08)	3. The Holy See (3.12.08)
4. Sierra Leone (3.12.08)	5. Lao PDR (18.3.09)	6. Austria (2.4.09)
7. Mexico (6.5.09)	8. Niger (2.6.09)	9. Albania (16.6.09)
10. Spain (17.6.09)	11. Germany (8.7.09)	12. Luxembourg (10.7.09)
13. San Marino (10.7.09)	14. Japan (14.7.09)	15. Zambia (12.08.09)
16. Croatia (17.8.09)	17. Slovenia (19.8.09)	18. Uruguay (24.8.09)
19. Malta (24.9.09)	20. France (25.9.09)	21. Burundi (25.9.09)
22. Malwai (7.10.09)	23. Macedonia (FYR (8.10.09)	24. Nicaragua (2.11.09)
25. New Zealand (22.12.09)	26. Belguim (22.12.09)	27. Montenegro (25.1.10)
28. Denmark (12.2.10)	29. Burkina Faso (16.2.10)	30. Moldova (16.2.10)

This is only the beginning. States Parties (countries that have ratified the Convention) must now begin destroying stockpiles of cluster munitions and clearing contaminated land. They should also give clear funding commitments on victim assistance so that survivors can be fully included in society and enjoy their fundamental human rights. In addition all states, whether they have signed or not, should attend the First Meeting of States Parties to the convention in Loa PDR on 8-12 November 2010.

Violence against Women - the consequences of armed conflict

An extract of a paper produced by Kay Richmond, the UKPAC's liaison with Landmine Action and the Cluster Munitions Coalition

Although violence against women (VAW) is well recognised in many settings, that in time of armed conflict tends to concentrate on rape. Women’s bodies have become part of the battleground for those who use terror as a tactic of war — they are raped, abducted, humiliated and made to undergo forced pregnancy, sexual abuse and slavery. UNIFEM claims that 70% of the casualties in some recent conflicts were non-combatants - most of them women and children.

Due to the greater military efficiency of weapons there is an inherent and increased potential for injuring civilians. This means that for a country recovering from war, the presence of mines causes a serious environmental, social, and economic burden, and for the victims, continued tragedy not only for their families but also the whole country for many years.

UKPAC and the SIGBI Federation have been lobbying for the Cluster Munitions Convention, signed by the UK Government on 3 December 2008, but our work has not finished. Our Government has not ratified it due to insufficient time in the current legislative programme but has told the CMC (Cluster Munitions Coalition) that they will do so later this year or early next year.

Red: Signed the Convention Green: Signed and Ratified the Convention

What can we do to encourage our government to ratify without further delay? The Cluster Munition Coalition suggests:

Send a letter to the Foreign Office, calling for early ratification
Write to MPs to enlist their support. Landmine Action is seeking to get a PQ on the issue
Arrange a briefing for key government officials and key parliamentarians
Collect signatures for the Peoples’ Treaty Petition – online at http://www.minesactioncanada.org/peoples_treaty/index.cfm or use hard copies from http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/petition-forms.pdf
Resources for all of these are available on the CMC website.

If you would like to read the full report, click here

Click here to see an interactive map of the world with those countries shown using, stockpiling or affected by cluster bombs.

Exclusive BBC broadcast show stockpiles of cluster bombs being destroyed in the UK

On Thursday 13 November, the BBC aired exclusive footage of the destruction of UK cluster bomb stockpiles, as over 100 nations gear up to sign a groundbreaking treaty banning cluster bombs on 3 December. It was the first time viewers worldwide were able to see the impact the treaty banning cluster bombs is having.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions is a ban on the use and sale of cluster bombs, but also contains strong provisions for the destruction of stockpiles and clearance of contaminated land. Many of the nations expected to sign hold millions of submunitions in stockpiles, including the UK’s NATO partners such as Germany, France and the Netherlands. The UK alone is obliged to destroy a stockpile of around 30 million sub-munitions.

Having at first called for exceptions to the ban on cluster bombs, the UK played an important role in securing the ban, when Gordon Brown intervened in the final negotiations to announce immediate withdrawal from service of all UK cluster bombs. Under the terms of the treaty, all of these lethal weapons will have to be destroyed under controlled circumstances.

Although technically challenging, some European countries are already demonstrating significant progress on stockpile destruction. The UK has already taken steps to ensure its own stockpile destruction process is planned and underway immediately after signing. The UK must also fast track legislation to ratify the new treaty to ensure swift entry into force.

Campaigners are calling for the government to use the unique opportunity of the Queen’s Speech – coincidentally also on 3 December when the treaty will be signed – to announce concrete funding commitments for countries affected by cluster munitions. These actions are crucial to prevent the UK from losing its status as a leading player in this important humanitarian achievement.

At least 75 countries stockpile cluster munitions and 34 are known to have produced more than 210 types of cluster munitions. Fourteen states have used cluster munitions in at least 29 countries and territories.

UKPAC one of the first!

On 8 October, 2003, the UKPAC became one of the first members of the Cluster Munitions Coalition prior to the launch on the 12 and 13 November of that year.

Now known as the CMC, it is an international civil society movement, committed to stopping cluster munitions, a weapon type that kills indiscriminately and that is stockpiled in the billions by over 50 countries.

Through their membership of the CMC, Soroptimists in the UK continue to work towards a total ban on the manufacture, transfer, stockpiling and use of cluster munitions.

Campaign grows

The major international campaign to ban cluster munitions continues to grow with 76 countries now supporting the Oslo process. Soroptimists, through the tireless efforts of Kate Moore, continue to play a high profile part in the campaign.

The recent change in the UK government provides an ideal opportunity to emphasise to the new government the strength of feeling of our members in support of the ban. We are urged to email the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, to ensure the UK government wholeheartedly supports the Oslo Process www.landmineaction.org/support/email alternatively you can join in the debate on the priorities of the UK’s foreign policy on the UK government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website by clicking this link:

More information about cluster munitions can be found on the Cluster Munitions Coalition web site www.stopclustermunitions.org There is also link to the UK online petition on the Downing Street web site: www.petitions.pm.gov.uk/Clusterbombs

Handicap International continues to host the main online petition, which now has over 330.000 signatures but still needs more! Or visit their dedicated website:www.clusterbombs.org.uk

All this offers plenty of lobbying opportunities from simple petitions to sign or opportunities to make your own views known.

Please read the message from Kate Moore on the signing of the Cluster Munitions Declaration.

Visit their Web site... (external link)