Global Day of Action on clusters

“The number of countries taking part in the first ever global day of action to ban cluster bombs is a sign of the public’s commitment to achieving a new treaty. It is the public, particularly in states affected by these horrendous weapons, that is driving this process and we will not stop until a ban treaty is signed next year,” said Thomas Nash, Coordinator of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC).

Campaigners in Wellington, New Zealand kick started the events this morning by dropping thousands of cluster-bomb shaped leaflets across the city, mimicking the deployment of a cluster bomb strike. ‘Silhouettes’ representing the all too often anonymous victims of cluster bombs are being placed in cities including Sydney, Geneva, Vienna and Washington. In London, a giant wall is being constructed outside the Mayor’s office where members of the public will post messages and cards in support of a global ban.

Today also marks a rare joint appeal by the United Nations, CMC, and UK-based Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in support of the ban treaty with an advertising campaign featured in several newspapers worldwide. The UN is calling on all countries to freeze the use and trade of cluster bombs and negotiate an international prohibition on cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The Cluster Munition Coalition urges all governments to act on this appeal.

The advert shows that as a precaution certain toys have been removed from the market because of the risk they pose to children. In some cases they have not caused any injury, but preventative measures have been taken. This is in stark contrast to cluster bombs, which are known to have killed and injured thousands of children worldwide – largely a result of their colourful and intriguing shapes which attract children -- but cluster bombs are still available on the international market for potential future use.

UNICEF issued a statement today marking the Global Day of Action and highlighting the particular impact cluster bombs have on children, saying that “it is with urgency that we encourage all Governments to develop a legally binding instrument prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, especially children.”

Although public opposition to cluster munitions has existed for over 30 years, global public awareness intensified in 2006 after Belgium banned the weapon, Norway introduced a moratorium and the use of the weapon in southern Lebanon demonstrated beyond any doubt the urgent need for an international ban. As the international non-governmental Cluster Munition Coalition stepped up its calls for a new treaty, many states responded by joining a Norwegian-led initiative to conclude a new ban treaty in 2008, a process now known as the Oslo Process.

Interviews: Thomas Nash, CMC Coordinator English, French, Spanish +44 77 11 926 730

Notes to editors:

o The Global Day of Action – more than 40 events across the world

o The advertising campaign is supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs and Assistance (UN OCHA) and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, as well as the CMC and its member organization Norwegian People’s Aid.

o Cluster munitions are weapons that can disperse up to several hundreds of smaller submunitions – sometimes referred to as “bomblets” - over wide areas. They have indiscriminate wide area effects that kill and injure civilians during attacks and they leave severe and lasting humanitarian and development consequences from large quantities of post-conflict unexploded ordnance.

o The following states are participating in the Oslo Process:

Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lao PDR, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Montenegro, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, UK, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen and Zambia

o Oslo Process conferences will be held in Vienna 4-7 December and Wellington 18-22 February to develop the ban treaty, and in Dublin 19-30 May to formally negotiate the treaty.

o At least 75 countries stockpile cluster munitions and 34 are known to have produced more than 210 types of cluster munitions. 14 states have used cluster munitions in at least 30 countries and territories.

o From 7-13 November 2007 States Parties to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) will meet in Geneva, where it is expected that some states will be advocating for a negotiating mandate on cluster munitions. The CCW has previously attempted but failed to tackle the problem of cluster munitions. In November 2006 at the CCW Review Conference talks fell apart when major user and producer countries blocked progress, despite the support of 30 states for a negotiating mandate. The CMC is supporting the Oslo Process to establish a treaty banning cluster bombs.

o The CMC is an international network of over 200 civil society organisations in 50 countries committed to protecting civilians from the effects of cluster munitions. Members of the CMC network work together on an international campaign calling on governments to conclude a new international treaty banning cluster munitions by 2008. More information on the CMC is available online at http://www.stopclustermunitions.org.