First anniversary of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Today ( August 1) marks the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

To date, 109 countries have signed the treaty and campaigners are using this day to call upon other countries around the world to sign and ratify the CCM and live up to its obligations.

Millions of unexploded submunitions contaminate dozens of countries around the world and these weapons prohibit farmers from accessing arable land. Cluster bombs and landmines also prevent economic development from happening, in countries that need it the most.

While there is a lot of bad news on this issue, there is a ray of hope.

More than 589,000 cluster bombs containing more than 64 million explosive submunitions have now been destroyed thanks to the CCM, with eight states parties and at least three signatories having already completed destruction of their stockpiles, according to a press release issued by the Cluster Munition Coalition.

To celebrate today's anniversary, sporting events featuring cluster bomb survivors took place around the world.

Unfortunately, many countries have yet to either sign or ratify the CCM. One of the most notable absentees is Canada – which led the way on the landmine issue. Canada has signed the CCM but has not taken the important next step and ratified it.

The next meeting of the states parties to the CCM will take place in Beirut, Sept. 12-16.
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