Those signing today have acted with admirable and appropriate urgency in bringing about this convention. Now the challenge is for all to sustain that urgency.

The new international treaty banning the use of cluster munitions, to be signed in Oslo on December 3 by about 100 nations, will save thousands of lives.

An effort by some countries to legitimize the ongoing use, production, trade, and stockpiling of cluster munitions failed today, in the lead-up to a comprehensive legal ban on the weapon that more than 100 other nations plan to sign in Oslo, Norway on December 3.

In the MENA region, four countries have produced cluster munitions, two have exported them, and fifteen have stockpiles of the weapon. The region has also seen extensive use of cluster munitions.

There would have to be major changes in many articles if this draft protocol were to have any significant humanitarian impact. We do not believe it would constrain in any meaningful way any of the major users and stockpilers of cluster munitions that are not part of the Oslo Process.

A total of 19 states from the region agreed to adopt the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in Dublin on May 30, 2008.

This draft protocol would only serve to legitimize cluster munitions and, therefore, would be harmful to the goal of protecting civilians from the ravages of war, both during and after armed conflict. We welcome and appreciate the joint statement made by the 26 nations indicating that the current draft text is unacceptable.

Many CCW States Parties frequently speak of the need to balance humanitarian concerns and military necessities. But it would appear that those who are arguing for the elimination of the definition of “cluster munition victims” are putting the key humanitarian aspect of the draft protocol to the side.