Forty six countries have adopted a declaration, in Norway, calling for a 2008 treaty banning cluster bombs; this declaration creates a sense of momentum.
Out of 49 participating countries, Poland, Romania and Japan did not sign the final declaration, that urges countries to conclude a treaty outlawing cluster bombs.
The declaration say that it "would prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of those cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians”.
The Oslo conference was not attended by the United States, Russia and China.
Australia, Israel, India and Pakistan also did not attend the conference, saying that the weapons should be dealt with in the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons.
The Conference had been called by Norway, after the talks in November 2007 failed to achieve progress towards a ban.
Cluster bomblets are packed by the hundreds into artillery shells, bombs or missiles that scatter them over vast areas, with some of them failing to explode.
According to United Nation estimates, Israel dropped about four million bomblets in southern Lebanon, during the war in Lebanon, About forty percent failed to explode.
The declaration urged countries to take steps at a national level before the treaty takes effect.
Norway already has done so, while Austria declared a moratorium on cluster bombs at the beginning of the conference.
But, cluster bombs are to be part of Finland's defence system and a replacement for anti-personal mines, said Laura Kansikas, head of the Finish foreign ministry's unit for arms control, in an interview with the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE).
She underlined that "Finland is prepared to discuss different technical limitations and ways to decrease human suffering, but Finland does not want to enter into a full ban on cluster bombs."
The United Kingdom has signed up to the declaration, despite having used the weapon in conflicts in Kosovo and Iraq and is still stockpiling the so-called "smart" version of the munition.
The "smart" submunitions are more expensive and complex to manufacture than other types of bombs.
The UK's support led to surprise and approval. The UK point of view is that "dumb" weapons should be scrapped, but that some modern cluster munitions are "a legitimate weapon when used in accordance with international humanitarian law."
This raise the question over what categories of the weapon will be outlawed under the future treaty.
Norway expressed the hope that the treaty would be similar to the one that outlaws anti-personal mines, that was negotiated in1997 in Oslo.
The declaration also said that work on the cluster bomb treaty would be carried out in Lima Peru, in May or June, this year, in Vienna, Austria, in November or December 2007 and in Dublin, in early 2008.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
Please also see:
Secretary-General encouraged by Oslo Conference Declaration Envisioning Ban of Cluster Munitions by 2008
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm10887.doc.htm
Cluster Munition Coalition http://www.stopclustermunitions.org
UPDATE
U.S.Senators Eye Curbs on Cluster Bombs beyond Israel's Use
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0227-07.htm
Out of 49 participating countries, Poland, Romania and Japan did not sign the final declaration, that urges countries to conclude a treaty outlawing cluster bombs.
The declaration say that it "would prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of those cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians”.
The Oslo conference was not attended by the United States, Russia and China.
Australia, Israel, India and Pakistan also did not attend the conference, saying that the weapons should be dealt with in the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons.
The Conference had been called by Norway, after the talks in November 2007 failed to achieve progress towards a ban.
Cluster bomblets are packed by the hundreds into artillery shells, bombs or missiles that scatter them over vast areas, with some of them failing to explode.
According to United Nation estimates, Israel dropped about four million bomblets in southern Lebanon, during the war in Lebanon, About forty percent failed to explode.
The declaration urged countries to take steps at a national level before the treaty takes effect.
Norway already has done so, while Austria declared a moratorium on cluster bombs at the beginning of the conference.
But, cluster bombs are to be part of Finland's defence system and a replacement for anti-personal mines, said Laura Kansikas, head of the Finish foreign ministry's unit for arms control, in an interview with the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE).
She underlined that "Finland is prepared to discuss different technical limitations and ways to decrease human suffering, but Finland does not want to enter into a full ban on cluster bombs."
The United Kingdom has signed up to the declaration, despite having used the weapon in conflicts in Kosovo and Iraq and is still stockpiling the so-called "smart" version of the munition.
The "smart" submunitions are more expensive and complex to manufacture than other types of bombs.
The UK's support led to surprise and approval. The UK point of view is that "dumb" weapons should be scrapped, but that some modern cluster munitions are "a legitimate weapon when used in accordance with international humanitarian law."
This raise the question over what categories of the weapon will be outlawed under the future treaty.
Norway expressed the hope that the treaty would be similar to the one that outlaws anti-personal mines, that was negotiated in1997 in Oslo.
The declaration also said that work on the cluster bomb treaty would be carried out in Lima Peru, in May or June, this year, in Vienna, Austria, in November or December 2007 and in Dublin, in early 2008.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
Please also see:
Secretary-General encouraged by Oslo Conference Declaration Envisioning Ban of Cluster Munitions by 2008
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2007/sgsm10887.doc.htm
Cluster Munition Coalition http://www.stopclustermunitions.org
UPDATE
U.S.Senators Eye Curbs on Cluster Bombs beyond Israel's Use
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0227-07.htm