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.

The workshop on ‘Enhancing implementation of Articles 3 & 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in South East Europe: the country coalition concept’ took place at the Centre for Security Cooperation (RACVIAC) on 12-13 June in Rakitje, Croatia. It was funded by the German government with the support of RACVIAC and the ISU-CCM.

Co-organized by RACVIAC and the German Presidency of the CCM, this workshop attracted speakers and participants from various States Parties and implementation organizations to discuss the country coalition concept as a way to enhance implementation of CCM obligations.

Click here for detailed information on the workshop.

African signatory States to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) met in Kampala, Uganda, on 29-30 May to discuss challenges and solutions to ratifying the CCM.

The seminar brought together 9 African signatory States (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, The Gambia and Uganda) and new State party Madagascar.

To date, there are 119 States that have committed to the CCM: 101 States Parties and 18 signatories of which 13 are African States. Click here for detailed information on the seminar

The Republic of Madagascar deposited its instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 20 May 2017. The Convention will enter into force for Madagascar on 1 November 2017.

Ambassador Biontino of the Federal Republic of Germany, President of the Seventh Meeting of States Parties (7MSP), warmly welcomes Madagascar as the 101^st State Party to the CCM and encourages States that have not ratified or acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions to consider joining.

The Republic of Madagascar’s ratification marks a significant step towards reaching the goal of 130 States Parties by the Second Review Conference in 2020.