Editing Cluster munition (section)

===International treaties===
[[File:Declaration Wellington conference.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Nations subscribing to the Wellington Declaration, which led to the Convention on Cluster Munitions]]

Other weapons, such as land mines, have been banned in many countries under specific legal instruments for several years, notably the [[Ottawa Treaty]] to ban land mines, and some of the Protocols in the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons that also help clearing the lands contaminated by left munitions after the end of conflicts and provides international assistance to the affected populations. However, until the adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Dublin in May 2008 cluster bombs were not banned by any international treaty and were considered legitimate weapons by some governments.

To increase pressure for governments to come to an international treaty on 13 November 2003, the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) was established with the goal of addressing the impact of cluster munitions on civilians.

International governmental deliberations in the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons turned on the broader problem of explosive remnants of war, a problem to which cluster munitions have contributed in a significant way. There were consistent calls from the Cluster Munition Coalition, the [[International Committee of the Red Cross]] (ICRC) and a number of UN agencies, joined by approximately 30 governments, for international governmental negotiations to develop specific measures that would address the humanitarian problems cluster munitions pose. This did not prove possible in the conventional multilateral forum. After a reversal in the US position, in 2007 deliberations did begin on cluster munitions within the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. There was a concerted effort led by the US to develop a new protocol to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, but this proposal was rejected by over 50 states, together with civil society, ICRC and UN agencies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.article36.org/ccw-review-conference-ends-with-rejection-of-us-backed-proposal-for-protocol-that-would-allow-cluster-bomb-use|title=CCW review conference ends with rejection of US-backed proposal for protocol that would allow cluster bomb use|access-date=2011-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210073831/http://www.article36.org/ccw-review-conference-ends-with-rejection-of-us-backed-proposal-for-protocol-that-would-allow-cluster-bomb-use/|archive-date=2011-12-10|url-status=dead}}</ref> The discussions ended with no result in November 2011, leaving the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions as the single international standard on the weapons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news/?id=3531|title=US-led attempt to allow cluster bomb use is rejected at UN negotiations}}</ref>

In February 2006, Belgium announced its decision to ban the weapon by law. Then Norway announced a national moratorium in June and Austria announced its decision in July to work for an international instrument on the weapon. The international controversy over the use and impact of cluster munitions during the war between Lebanon and Israel in July and August 2006 added weight to the global campaign for a ban treaty.<ref>{{cite SSRN|ssrn=1606304|title=Eitan Barak, Doomed to Be Violated? The U.S.-Israeli Clandestine End-User Agreement and the Second Lebanon War: Lessons for the Convention on Cluster Munitions |date=13 May 2010 |last1=Barak |first1=Eitan }}</ref>

[[File:Stop cluster bomb march - Uganda.jpg|left|thumb|[[Uganda]]n demonstrator at the May 2008 Dublin conference for the Convention on Cluster Munitions]]

A new flexible multilateral process similar to the process that led to the ban on anti-personnel land mines in 1997 (the [[Ottawa Treaty]]) began with an announcement in November 2006<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6140530.stm | work=BBC News | title=New bomb clean-up treaty begins | date=2006-11-12 | access-date=2010-04-30 | first=Imogen | last=Foulkes}}</ref> in [[Geneva]] as well at the same time by the Government of Norway that it would convene an international meeting in early 2007 in [[Oslo]] to work towards a new treaty prohibiting cluster munitions. Forty-nine governments attended the meeting in [[Oslo Conference on Cluster Munitions|Oslo 22–23 February 2007]] in order to reaffirm their commitment to a new international ban on the weapon.

A follow-up meeting in this process was held in [[Lima]] in May where around 70 states discussed the outline of a new treaty, Hungary became the latest country to announce a moratorium and Peru launched an initiative to make [[Latin America]] a cluster munition free zone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news.asp?id=70 |title=Report on Lima Conference |work=Cluster Munition Coalition |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121012331/http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news.asp?id=70 |archive-date=November 21, 2007 }}</ref>

In addition, the ICRC held an experts meeting on cluster munitions in April 2007 which helped clarify technical, legal, military and humanitarian aspects of the weapon with a view to developing an international response.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/p0915|title=Expert Meeting Report: Humanitarian, Military, Technical and Legal Challenges of Cluster Munitions|work=ICRC|date=3 October 2013}}</ref>

Further meetings took place in [[Vienna]] on 4–7 December 2007, and in [[Wellington]] on 18–22 February 2008 where a declaration in favor of negotiations on a draft convention was adopted by more than 80 countries. In May 2008 after around [[Convention on Cluster Munitions#Nations that have subscribed to the Wellington Declaration|120 countries]] had subscribed to the Wellington Declaration and participated in the Dublin Diplomatic Conference from 19 to 30 May 2008. At the end of this conference, 107 countries agreed to adopt the Convention on Cluster Munitions, that bans cluster munitions and was opened for signature in Oslo on 3–4 December 2008 where it was signed by 94 countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clustermunitionsdublin.ie/|title=Message from Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin T.D.|website=www.clustermunitionsdublin.ie|access-date=15 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619081243/http://www.clustermunitionsdublin.ie/|archive-date=19 June 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/policy/cluster/klasevapen/|title=International ban on cluster munitions|work=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway)|The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]]|access-date=2011-07-13|archive-date=2011-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609013000/http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/policy/cluster/klasevapen/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/news/?id=600|title=News – Media – CMC|website=www.stopclustermunitions.org|access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref>
In July 2008, United States [[Defense Secretary]] [[Robert Gates|Robert M. Gates]] implemented a policy to eliminate by 2018 all cluster bombs that do not meet new safety standards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50455|title=United States Department of Defense|website=www.defenselink.mil|access-date=15 May 2018}}</ref>

In November 2008, ahead of the signing Conference in Oslo,<ref>[http://www.osloccm.no/ Signing Conference Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216040435/http://www.osloccm.no/ |date=2008-12-16 }} last retrieved on 28 November 2008</ref> the [[European Parliament]] passed a resolution calling on all [[European Union]] governments to sign and ratify the Convention.<ref>[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/031-42127-322-11-47-903-20081114STO42065-2008-17-11-2008/default_en.htm Cluster bombs: MEPs to press for signature of treaty ban] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222135540/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/public/story_page/031-42127-322-11-47-903-20081114STO42065-2008-17-11-2008/default_en.htm |date=2009-02-22 }} last retrieved on 19 November 2008</ref>

On 16 February 2010 [[Burkina Faso]] became the 30th state to deposit its instrument of ratification for the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This means that the number of States required for the Convention to enter into force had been reached. The treaty's obligations became legally binding on the 30 ratifying States on 1 August 2010 and subsequently for other ratifying States.<ref>[http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/cluster-munition-interview-170210 Convention on Cluster Munitions to enter into force on 1 August 2010] ICRC web site</ref>