Something serious to talk about today: Cluster bombs and why they should be banned. This is a topic that all students should know about and hopefully also get campaigning about. Here’s why.

A report just published by the  the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Prohibiting Cluster Munitions: Our Chance to Protect Civilians draws attention to this unacceptable loss of life and severe hindrance to human development caused by cluster munitions and compiles yet more evidence on why a ban on the use of all cluster munitions is urgently needed.

So what exactly are cluster bombs (often referred to as cluster munitions)? Basically, they are exploding devises designed to cause as much damage as possible to civilian populations by dispersing multiple smaller bombs (the jargon is “submunitions) that scatter over a wide area. Although designed to explode when they strike the ground, many of the ‘bomblets’ fail to function and remain as deadly explosive remnants. Like landmines, these lethal devices can continue to kill and injure for decades.

Worldwide estimates of the number of civilians killed or maimed by cluster bombs run into the tens of thousands and one-third of reported cluster bomb casualties are children. Unexploded submunitions dispersed over 30 years ago continue to claim lives today.

For survivors, the physical and psychological distress is often devastating. The immediate cost of hospital treatment, if it is accessible or available, can be higher than many individuals can afford. Long-term care, rehabilitation and reintegration may not be affordable. Adults often lose their livelihoods. Children may not be able to continue to attend school thus losing their education and their chances of finding work in the future.

 On 23 February 2007, 46 states agreed in Oslo, Norway to conclude in 2008 a treaty prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. This global initiative is often referred to as the Oslo Process. Three further meetings (In Lima, Vienna, and Wellington) have involved over 100 countries and the next round of negotiations will be held in Dublin next month which the Irish Foreign Minister has described as a critical stage in the Oslo Process.

The Oslo Process has a tough task ahead. Billions of submunitions remain stockpiled, ready to be used by 75 countries and to date they have been used in at least 30 countries and territories. There is something far wrong with a world which is reluctant to ban weapons which are designed to cause maximum damage to the most people over the largest area for the longest possible time. Rhona MacDonald: student@lancet.com

Bookmark on delicious | Digg

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at 8:54 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can trackback from your own site.