What is the Oslo Process or the Convention on Cluster Munitions?

In February 2007, forty-six governments met in Oslo to endorse a call by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to conclude a new legally binding instrument in 2008 that prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that causes unacceptable harm to civilians and provides adequate resources to assist survivors and clear contaminated areas.

Historical Timeline:

February 2007 – Launch of the Oslo Process in Oslo, Norway

May 2007 – Lima Conference on Cluster Munitions, Peru

December 2007 – Vienna Conference on Cluster Munitions, Austria

February 2008 – Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions, New Zealand

May 2008 – Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions, Ireland

December 2008 – Convention on Cluster Munitions Signing Conference, Norway

*The treaty text was adopted in Dublin by 107 countries and opened for signature in Oslo on December 3, 2008.

August 1, 2010 - The Convention on Cluster Munitions entered into force becoming binding international law. The first 30 States to ratify the treaty became States Parties on this date. States that have ratified the treaty thereafter will become States Parties six months after the date of their ratification. Up until the entry into force of the treaty, States Parties had to go through two stages: Signing then ratifying the treaty. After the entry into force, States must accede directly (sign and ratify simultaneously); they cannot sign with the intention to ratify later.

November 2010 - The 1st Meeting of States Parties to the Oslo Treaty took place in Vientiane, Laos, the most affected country in the world. The States parties adopted a 66-point action plan for clearance, destruction of stockpiles and victim assistance.

September 2011- The 2nd Meeting of States Parties to the Oslo Treaty took place in Beirut, Lebanon. It was an opportunity for States to show their commitment to the Convention, especially in reporting on the Vientiane action plan and the next steps to efficiently implement the Treaty, particularly on victim assistance and clearance.

September 2012 - The 3rd Meeting of States Parties to the Oslo Treaty took place in Oslo, Norway.

For more information on The Convention on Cluster Munitions go to www.stopclustermunitions.org.