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U.S. Absent as 100 Countries Meet in Dublin to Finalize Global Cluster Bomb Ban
Unicef, Member of Congress, Urge U.S. Action on Cluster Bombs
For immediate release: May 19, 2008
Contact Lora Lumpe, Coordinator, US Campaign to Ban Landmines,
202-361-3028 or lora@fcnl.org
Washington, DC….Representatives of more than 100 governments gathered in
Dublin, Ireland today to begin writing the final text of a global treaty banning
cluster bombs that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The United States —historically,
the world’s largest producer, stockpiler, and user of these deadly weapons—won’t
be at the negotiations
Over the past 40 years, the vast majority of confirmed casualties from cluster
munitions have been civilians, and children are particularly at risk. Cluster
bombs open in mid-air dispersing dozens to hundreds of small submunitions over
a large area. Many of these “bomblets” fail to detonate and can harm
civilians decades after a conflict has ended.
The draft treaty, which governments plan to finish on May 30, will ban the use,
production and export of cluster munitions. The draft text sets a six year timeframe
for destruction of prohibited weapons. It also requires states to clear cluster-bomb
contaminated areas and to assist victims and affected communities.
“Cluster munitions do not know when the war has ended,” said Mark
Engman, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “Children
stumble over them long after the conflict has ended or pick them up thinking
that they are toys.”
In the past 10 years, the United States has used cluster bombs in civilian-populated
areas of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. The U.S. government has not participated
in the treaty negotiations and is actively lobbying its allies taking part in
the negotiations to weaken the treaty.
“It is disappointing that the U.S. government does not support
the goal of banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians,” said
Lora Lumpe, coordinator of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines. “And it’s
outrageous that it is lobbying allied governments to water down the treaty. Such
a move isolates the U.S. in the world community, and risks undermining efforts
to protect civilians.”
Last year Congress passed a one year export moratorium on exports of cluster
munitions.
“Cluster munitions kill indiscriminately,” said Rep. Jim McGovern
(MA), “While the U.S. government won’t be at the treaty negotiations,
many legislators, including myself, support common-sense restrictions on these
weapons. That is why I have introduced the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection
Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
The Pope, Bishop Desmond Tutu, the International Committee of the Red Cross,
UNICEF, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Christian relief group World
Vision, among others, have joined in condemning the use of these indiscriminate
weapons.
The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines (USCBL) is a coalition of thousands of citizens
and organizations dedicated to a total ban on antipersonnel landmines and cluster
munitions (www.uscbl.org). It is one of 90 country campaigns that form the International
Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). The Friends Committee on National Legislation,
the oldest registered religious lobby in Washington, is the coordinating organization
for the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines.
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Find out more about the Cluster
Munitions Civilian Protection Act.
For updates on the cluster bomb treaty talks, check out: http://www.clusterprocess.org/
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