Secretary-General Welcomes August Entry into Force for Convention on Cluster

 

Munitions as United Nations Receives Thirtieth Ratification

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The United Nations received today the thirtieth instrument of ratification for the Convention on Cluster Munitions.  With this step, the Convention will enter into force on 1 August 2010, in keeping with the Convention’s provisions.

The Secretary-General welcomes this major advance on the global disarmament agenda, and notes that the Convention’s entry into force just two years after its adoption demonstrates the world’s collective revulsion at the impact of these terrible weapons.

Cluster munitions are unreliable and inaccurate.  During conflict and long after it has ended, they maim and kill scores of civilians, including many children.  They impair post-conflict recovery by making roads and land inaccessible to farmers and aid workers.

The United Nations is firmly committed to ending the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and mitigating the suffering they cause.  The Secretary-General calls on all States to become a party to the Convention without delay.

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For information media • not an official record