THE 109 countries taking part in negotiations in Dublin on an anti-cluster bomb treaty have been urged to "stand firm" against a "vocal minority" who are seeking to dilute its impact.
Speaking at a demonstration in Dublin yesterday against the weapons, Thomas Nash, co-ordinator of the international Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC) told The Irish Timesa number of countries, including the United States and Britain, were seeking to influence the negotiations in the "wrong direction".
The international conference aimed at drawing up an anti-cluster bomb treaty enters its second week today. Hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs, it will produce a treaty which campaigners hope will explicitly ban all use, sale and production of cluster munitions.
Cluster munitions are launched by aircraft and scatter smaller explosive devices over large areas. Although they are meant to explode on impact with the ground, some can remain intact for several decades, until disturbed.
Mr Nash expressed a fear yesterday that some countries such as the US would succeed in achieving exemptions to a ban.
The US is not participating in the conference but is "influencing the language on the table from behind the scenes", according to Mr Nash.
"The US state department came out with a ludicrous statement during the week that a ban on cluster bombs would stop them carrying out humanitarian work. We have to ensure that our influence and our vision prevails."
About 200 people took part in yesterday's march from the Garden of Remembrance to the Academy music venue off O'Connell Street.
