The ‘Balkans workshop on cluster munition survey and clearance and implementation of Article 4 of the CCM’ took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, on 8-10 November. Norway, former CCM Coordinator on Clearance and Risk Reduction Education, along with one of the current CCM Coordinators on this thematic, the Netherlands, organized this technical workshop, which brought together representatives of 4 affected States from the region, 5 donor States, 1 donor organization and 3 demining agencies.

The goal of the workshop was to encourage affected States to continue with their efforts on clearance and for States and operators to share their experiences with one another, through discussions on completion planning, challenges, lessons learnt, regional collaboration and available support.

Click here to view the programme of the workshop.

The Federal Republic of Germany, in its capacity as the President of the Seventh Meeting of States Parties (7MSP), organized a lunch side event on the “challenges to the implementation and universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM)” in the margins of the 72^nd session of the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. The meeting was held at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York on Thursday 26 October 2017, where more than a dozen States were in attendance.

Ambassador Michael Biontino (Permanent Representative of Germany to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva) in his opening statement, made reference to the “country coalition” concept, the “structured dialogue” and the “military-to-military” engagements with States not Party that were initiated by the German Presidency of the 7MSP. Ambassador Biontino also made mention of the 2017 CCM draft resolution, dated 12 October 2017, that was submitted by Germany together with 42 co-sponsors.

The second speaker at the event was Ambassador Jaime Hermida Castillo (for the Spanish version his statement, click here). Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of Nicaragua to the United Nations in New York, who represented Ambassador Hernán Estrada Roman (Permanent Representative of Nicaragua to the United Nations Office at Geneva), who currently presides over the Convention as the President of the Eighth Meeting of States Parties (8MSP).

The other panel speakers at the event were Ms. Sachi Claringbould (Deputy Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva), Mr. Hugh Watson (Counsellor, Australian Permanent Mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva), and Mr. Jeff Abramson (Program Manager, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, ICBL-CMC).

A closed lunchtime side event in the margins of the 72^nd session of the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security was held at the Permanent Mission of New Zealand to the United Nations in New York on Tuesday 17 October 2017. This informal meeting was organized by New Zealand, CCM Coordinator on National Implementation Measures, in collaboration with Zambia, CCM Coordinator on Transparency Measures, and with the technical support of the CCM Implementation Support Unit. Five States Parties attended this side event to discuss obligations stemming from Article 7 (Transparency Measures) and Article 9 (National Implementation Measures) of the Convention.

During the meeting, the Coordinators highlighted the importance of transparency reporting and having sufficient national legislation in fulfilling the obligations of the Convention. New Zealand shared its model legislation with the attendees, which is available in all six UN languages. States that were present at the meeting committed to submitting their overdue initial transparency reports and following up on their respective national legislation with regards to implementing the CCM domestically.

Click here to view the agenda of the meeting.

On 3 October 2017, the Italian parliament passed the legislation that prohibits investments in producers of cluster munitions. There were 389 votes in favour of the bill, 0 against and 3 abstentions.

This new law will prohibit all Italian financial institutions from providing any form of support to Italian or foreign companies performing a range of activities including the production, use, sale, import, export, stockpiling, or transport of antipersonnel mines as well as cluster munitions and explosive submunitions. Furthermore, a blacklist of cluster of cluster munitions producers will be created.

Click here to view the new Italian law in its original language (Italian). Click here for the English translation.

In a statement delivered at the UNGA First Committee on 10 October 2017, the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) condemned any use of cluster munitions by any actor, and urged current users to stop.

CMC also urged all States to vote in favor of the resolution on the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

For more information.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) Quarterly Newsletter covering the third quarter of 2017 is out.

The Cluster Munition Coalition has just launched the 2017 Cluster Munition Monitor. For the full report, click here.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of Cluster Munitions. The CCM was adopted in Dublin on 30 May 2008 and became binding international law when it entered into force on 1 August 2010 after 30 States had ratified it.

Since its entry into force, the Convention has made important progress notably through increasing adherence with the Convention; reinforcing the norms being established by the Convention and; completing operative obligations by States Parties.

To date 119 states have committed to the goals of the Convention, of which 102 have become full States Parties and 17 are signatories. As set out in the Dubrovnik Action Plan, the aim is to reach 130 States Parties by the Second Review Conference in 2020.

On Friday 9 June 2017, Australia and Iraq, CCM Coordinators on International Cooperation and Assistance, hosted an informal meeting in the margins of the Intersessional Meetings of the Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention (APLC).  The meeting was held as a follow-up to the informal meeting in the margins of the 20th International Meeting of National Mine Action Programme Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM-UN) on Wednesday 8 February to provide updates on the issues raised at that meeting, and to share further their views on challenges and needs for cooperation and assistance.

Aproximately 22 representatives from affected States, States with impending deadlines under the Convention and donor/partner States participated in the meeting.  The following is a summary of key points raised, along with more detailed proceedings of the meeting.  As the meeting was closed, all identifying references to participating States have been removed from the summary.

To access the summary, click here.

The Republic of Benin deposited its instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 10 July 2017. The Convention will enter into force for Benin on 1 January 2018.

Ambassador Biontino of the Federal Republic of Germany, President of the Seventh Meeting of States Parties (7MSP), warmly congratulates the Republic of Benin as the 102^nd State Party to the CCM. The Ambassador continues to advocate that other States take the lead of Benin and as soon as possible to ratify or accede to the CCM.

The ratification of the Convention by the Republic of Benin draws the goal of 130 CCM States Parties by the Second Review Conference in 2020 much closer.