A historic achievement in disarmament, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, will enter into force on 1 August 2010. The treaty provides a legal framework for ending cluster munitions’ unacceptable harm to civilians, many of whom live in developing countries. Thirty-seven states have so far ratified the convention, and 107 countries are signatories.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of these weapons. It calls for the destruction of stockpiles within eight years of accession, and clearance of contaminated land within 10 years. The convention also responds to the suffering of civilians with a series of specific, measurable and gender-sensitive victims’ assistance obligations. Read more

Statement by the Secretary-General on the entry-into-force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions