A cluster of good news

clipped from blogs.amnesty.org.uk The Convention on Cluster Munitions – which bans the production, stockpiling, use and export of cluster bombs – marks a landmark victory for civil society campaigners. Cluster bombs were once a preferred weapon in many wars for the fact that it can be dropped from afar and little munitions – or bomblets – are scattered wide and far and so can have devastating impact across a huge area.   Hundreds of NGOs, including Amnesty have supported the worldwide campaign to abolish the use of this weapon.  In December 2008, 92 countries agreed to sign up to the Treaty but it couldn’t be effective until at least 30 states had ratified it. Thanks to Burkina Faso and Moldova – this treaty will soon become effective, and hopefully this will significantly reduce the number of deaths and devastating injuries that occur in conflict zones as a result of unexploded munitions from these weapons.

The international cluster munitions treaty: see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8519360.stm