Mr President, Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would first like to thank the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for its leadership in hosting this Third Review Conference. Given the devastating legacy of cluster munitions in Laos, your country brings a powerful voice and strong moral authority to our collective efforts to strengthen the Convention.
Cluster munitions are a horrible weapon.
They cause grave destruction during war and pose great danger to civilians long after the fighting has ended. Ridding areas of these weapons is painstaking, costly and can take decades.
Despite the risks they pose, they continue to be produced, transferred and used by States not party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Their ongoing use continues to lead to new civilian casualties and more areas contaminated.
In addition to this, the pace of universalization of the Convention has slowed. In the five years since the last Review Conference, the number of States Parties to the Convention went from 110 to 112, with three joining and one withdrawing.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has witnessed the horrific consequences of these weapons firsthand. The bomblets left by cluster munitions can be easily mistaken as a toy, killing and maiming children. They lurk in farmlands, leaving farmers unable to cultivate their land. They prevent communities from returning to their homes and rebuilding their lives. They perpetuate cycles of suffering and displacement.
Last year alone, our teams in 28 countries provided physical rehabilitation services to more than 25,000 people suffering often life-long injuries because of explosive remnants of war. Many of those we treat are grappling with debilitating physical injuries that also have psychological and financial impacts.
Yesterday, many of us had the opportunity to see what this means here in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Despite the enormous efforts of the national authorities and international partners, the threat posed by these weapons persists and they keep doing damage years after the conflict has ended.
Mr President, the challenges are many but there is space for hope.
Since the Convention was adopted nearly 20 years ago, significant progress has been made. Large stockpiles of cluster munitions and submunitions have been destroyed, and new national legislation and policies have been adopted by many states parties. Thousands of victims have received assistance and large areas of land have been cleared and returned to productive use.
While the pace has slowed, States do continue to join the Convention – as demonstrated most recently by South Sudan, Nigeria and Vanuatu. The number of State representatives and other stakeholders gathered here today signals a strong commitment to implement it.
The International Committee of the Red Cross will continue to support States in their efforts to do so.
Our weapons contamination specialists provide technical support to States to destroy stockpiles and clear contaminated areas. We work, alongside our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners, to help educate communities on the risks and take basic measures to reduce their exposure to harm.
Our legal experts support States in drafting and implementing national legislation and in revising military doctrine and standard operating procedures. Similar collaboration and capacity building is happening among many members of the community assembled here today and will bring us closer, step by step, to a world free of cluster munitions.
Mr. President,
I take this opportunity to encourage States to make respect for international humanitarian law as a whole a political priority.
To date, 118 states have joined the Global Initiative to Galvanize Political Commitment to International Humanitarian Law – an exceptional effort led by states to renew commitment to the rules of war. Many of the states here today, including the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, have officially joined the Initiative.
Consultations with states as part of the Global IHL Initiative have shown broad support for a protective, rather than permissive, interpretation of international humanitarian law. The Convention on Cluster Munitions represents this protective approach, translating the humanitarian purpose of IHL into a clear commitment to prevent the unacceptable suffering caused by these weapons.
States must make courageous choices at this Review Conference.
- First, we must reinforce the stigma against cluster munitions. These weapons must never become normalized. Sustained international effort is essential to ensure that their use remains unacceptable under international norms.
- Second, we must redouble our efforts towards universal adherence. Every State that joins this Convention strengthens the protection it provides. Every accession brings us closer to the Convention's objective of putting an end to the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions.
- Third, States must continue to invest in its implementation. They must destroy existing stockpiles, clear contaminated areas and take legal and administrative measures to translate the convention into national legislation. This requires sustained political commitment as well as sufficient financial, technical, and human resources, both from the countries directly affected and through international cooperation.
Mr. President
The suffering caused by cluster munitions must not be allowed to continue for another generation. At this Review Conference, we have the opportunity to revive our support for the Convention and re-commit to the promise that it represents – a world free of cluster munitions.
Thank you.
