Cluster bomb ban reaches ratification: UN

The United Nations has announced that a 30th country had signed on to the international convention banning cluster bombs, paving the way for the document to come into force on August 1.

United Nations: The United Nations has
announced that a 30th country had signed on to the
international convention banning cluster bombs, paving the way
for the document to come into force on August 1.

"The United Nations has received the 30th instrument of
ratification for the Convention on Cluster Munition," said a
statement yesterday from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon`s press
office.
"The Secretary-General welcomes this major advance on the
global disarmament agenda, and notes that the Convention`s
entry into force just two years after its adoption
demonstrates the world`s collective revulsion at the
impact of these terrible weapons," according to the UN
statement.

"Cluster munitions are unreliable and inaccurate. During
conflict and long after it has ended, they maim and kill
scores of civilians, including many children," the UN said.

The munitions can also impair post-conflict recovery by
making roads and land inaccessible to farmers and aid workers,
the statement added.
Burkina Faso and Moldova were the 29th and 30th countries
to sign on for ratification after the Convention was opened
for signature in Oslo in December 2008.

"The short time it took to reach this milestone shows
that governments have a strong desire never to see these
terrible weapons used again," said Steve Goose, arms division
director at Human Rights Watch.

PTI

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