Sep 06, 2012
750,000 cluster munitions have been destroyed by governments that have signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, a report issued Thursday shows, highlighting the effectiveness of the treaty in destroying the deadly weapons.
The findings are included in the Cluster Munition Monitor 2012 from the Cluster Munition Coalition, a campaign dedicated to eradicating cluster munitions.
"The impressive number of stockpiled cluster bombs destroyed under the Convention on Cluster Munitions demonstrates just how committed governments are to rapidly implementing this treaty," said Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, final editor of Cluster Munition Monitor 2012. "It is proving to be a milestone in humanitarian disarmament diplomacy, and the hold-out states that have not yet joined need to get on the right side of history," Wareham said.
Among those countries that have not signed the treaty -- the United States.
Handicap International, a member of the Cluster Munition Coalition, issued these haunting words in their press release on the report: "The United States alone currently possesses between 800 million and 1 billion submunitions. If these weapons are ever used, it would cause a disaster on an unprecedented scale."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
750,000 cluster munitions have been destroyed by governments that have signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, a report issued Thursday shows, highlighting the effectiveness of the treaty in destroying the deadly weapons.
The findings are included in the Cluster Munition Monitor 2012 from the Cluster Munition Coalition, a campaign dedicated to eradicating cluster munitions.
"The impressive number of stockpiled cluster bombs destroyed under the Convention on Cluster Munitions demonstrates just how committed governments are to rapidly implementing this treaty," said Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, final editor of Cluster Munition Monitor 2012. "It is proving to be a milestone in humanitarian disarmament diplomacy, and the hold-out states that have not yet joined need to get on the right side of history," Wareham said.
Among those countries that have not signed the treaty -- the United States.
Handicap International, a member of the Cluster Munition Coalition, issued these haunting words in their press release on the report: "The United States alone currently possesses between 800 million and 1 billion submunitions. If these weapons are ever used, it would cause a disaster on an unprecedented scale."
750,000 cluster munitions have been destroyed by governments that have signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, a report issued Thursday shows, highlighting the effectiveness of the treaty in destroying the deadly weapons.
The findings are included in the Cluster Munition Monitor 2012 from the Cluster Munition Coalition, a campaign dedicated to eradicating cluster munitions.
"The impressive number of stockpiled cluster bombs destroyed under the Convention on Cluster Munitions demonstrates just how committed governments are to rapidly implementing this treaty," said Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch, final editor of Cluster Munition Monitor 2012. "It is proving to be a milestone in humanitarian disarmament diplomacy, and the hold-out states that have not yet joined need to get on the right side of history," Wareham said.
Among those countries that have not signed the treaty -- the United States.
Handicap International, a member of the Cluster Munition Coalition, issued these haunting words in their press release on the report: "The United States alone currently possesses between 800 million and 1 billion submunitions. If these weapons are ever used, it would cause a disaster on an unprecedented scale."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.