Forbud mod klyngebomber trådt i kraft
Søndag den 1. august trådte FN-konventionen, der forbyder fremstillingen og brugen af klyngebomber i kraft. Det er intet mindre end en milepæl på vejen mod sikkerhed for de mange ofre for klyngebomberne, der hvert år rammer særligt civile og børn.
Læs pressemeddelelsen fra FN her
UN hails entry into force of global pact banning cluster
munitions
30 July 2010 - United Nations officials have expressed their
delight at Sunday's entry into force of the international
convention banning the manufacture, use and stockpiling of cluster
munitions, calling it a "major advance for the global disarmament
and humanitarian agendas."
Billions of these weapons - which are considered particularly
dangerous, despite their lack of precision - are believed to exist
around the world and many have been used in recent conflicts,
killing or maiming countless civilians.
Thirty ratifications were needed to make the pact, which
prohibits explosive remnants of war known either as cluster
munitions or unexploded ordnance (UXO), a part of international
law. That milestone was reached in February when Burkina Faso and
Moldova both submitted their instruments of ratification of the
Convention on Cluster Munitions at UN Headquarters in New York.
The convention, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement
on Friday, "will help us to counter the widespread insecurity and
suffering caused by these terrible weapons, particularly among
civilians and children."
He is particularly pleased, the statement continued, that the
pact will enter into force on 1 August, just over two years after
it was adopted by 107 States in Dublin, Ireland.
"This highlights not only the world's collective revulsion at
these abhorrent weapons, but also the power of collaboration among
governments, civil society and the United Nations to change
attitudes and policies on a threat faced by all mankind," the
Secretary-General emphasized.
The convention - negotiated by States that represent past and
current producers, stockpilers and victims of cluster munitions -
establishes important commitments regarding assistance to victims,
clearance of contaminated areas and destruction of stockpiles.
To date, 37 countries have ratified the pact, which also has 107
signatures.
First used in the Second World War, cluster munitions contain
dozens of smaller explosives designed to disperse over an area the
size of several football fields, but often fail to detonate upon
impact, creating large de facto minefields.
The failure rate makes these weapons particularly dangerous for
civilians, who continue to be maimed or killed for years after
conflicts end. Some 98 per cent of victims are civilians and
cluster bombs have claimed over 10,000 civilian lives, 40 per cent
of whom are children.
Recovery from conflict is also hampered because the munitions
place roads and lands off-limits to farmers and aid workers.
The pact represents "a major advance for the global disarmament
and humanitarian agendas," Mr. Ban noted in his statement, a theme
echoed by Daniël Prins, chief of the conventional arms branch of
the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA).
"This is a great step forward - here we have a treaty at the
nexus of disarmament and humanitarian efforts," Mr. Prins said in
an interview with the UN News Centre.
He noted that the convention is not merely symbolic, but
contains many practical measures, such as requiring States to
provide assistance to victims, engage in clearance operations and
conduct awareness campaigns so that children do not inadvertently
set off explosions.
The first meeting of States parties to the convention will be
held this November in Laos, which Mr. Ban said is a country "that
has suffered tremendously from the impact of cluster
munitions."
Clearance operations are still ongoing in the South-East Asian
nation more than 30 years after conflict left 75 million unexploded
cluster bomblets across the country.
Mr. Ban called on all Member States to take part in the November
meeting to express their support for the convention, while also
urging those nations which have yet to accede to the pact "to do so
without delay."
Cluster munitions have been used in conflicts around the world
in recent years, including in the Middle East, South-Eastern
Europe, the Caucasus, the Horn of Africa and Central Africa.
The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has
been coordinating the removal of cluster munitions in many
countries, including Cambodia, Chad, Laos, Lebanon, Tajikistan and
Zambia.
Max Kerley, the Director of UNMAS, said he hoped the convention
will now gather the kind of support enjoyed by the Anti-Personnel
Mine Ban Treaty and receive more ratifications in the months
ahead.
Kilde: www.un.org
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