Cluster-bomb ban 'a profound gift'

THE ANTI-CLUSTER bomb convention, adopted by more than 100 countries in Dublin yesterday, was a “profound gift to the world”, the spokesman for the main international group campaigning against the munitions said.

Steve Goose, spokesman for the Cluster Munitions Coalition, was speaking minutes after 111 countries formally adopted the convention.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the aim would be to eventually have it ratified by all members of the United Nations. In the meantime, the enabling steps would be taken in the Dáil to have it ratified by Ireland.

The new convention obliges signatory states “never under any circumstances to use cluster munitions; develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone... cluster munitions.”

It will now be brought back to respective parliaments for ratification and the international treaty will be signed in Oslo on December 3rd. This will mark the culmination of a process that began in the Norwegian capital in February last year.

Mr Goose said the real beneficiaries would be those “who will not now lose lives and limbs to cluster munitions”. It was, however, “not a perfect treaty” given the absence of major cluster munitions users such as the United States, Russia, China, Pakistan and India, and the inclusion of Article 21 which permits signatory states continued co-operation with states still using cluster munitions.

“We will strive to get improvements through the monitoring process,” said Mr Goose.

Cluster munitions are launched by aircraft and scatter small explosive devices over large areas. Although they are meant to explode on impact with the ground, some can remain intact for decades until disturbed. In Vietnam, Laos and Lebanon, horrific injuries have been inflicted on civilians by cluster munitions decades after they were dropped.

Some delegates and observers wiped away tears at the end of the two weeks of negotiations yesterday in Croke Park, as representatives from country after country applauded the work of the Irish Government and of the Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Dáithí O’Ceallaigh, who chaired the Dublin negotiations.

The representative for Norway described yesterday as a “moment for joy and for gratitude”. The representative for Canada said Mr O’Ceallaigh had “contributed substantially to the outcome”.

Nigeria said yesterday marked a “new heartwarming chapter for humanity”.

Slovenia’s representative said she wanted to “commend the Government of Ireland for its work on this”, while Germany expressed “thanks to Ireland for this very important conference... and milestone in international humanitarian law”.

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