Human Rights Watch Urges Stronger Cluster Munitions Ban

Human Rights Watch Urges Stronger Cluster Munitions Ban
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling on global leaders to strengthen the international ban on cluster munitions, urging nations that have not yet done so to join the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, JURIST reported.

This appeal follows the annual report from the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), which highlighted both the successes and challenges to the treaty. The report notes that cluster munitions, which release multiple submunitions over a wide area and fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants, pose a long-term danger to civilian populations due to a high rate of unexploded duds.

While the 112 state parties to the convention have maintained strong legal compliance—with none of them having used the weapons since the treaty’s adoption—the report noted ongoing challenges. It specifically mentioned the continued use of cluster munitions by nations not party to the treaty, including Russia and Ukraine. The United States, also not a signatory, has transferred munitions to Ukraine, and other countries like Iran and Thailand were also accused of their use. The report also pointed to Lithuania as the first country to withdraw from the convention.