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Recent Releases Cluster Bomb Treaty Breaks New Ground The new cluster munitions treaty adopted in Dublin on May 30, 2008, will save thousands of lives for decades to come, with key treaty provisions stronger than even some of its staunchest supporters had expected, Human Rights Watch said today. The treaty immediately bans all types of cluster munitions, rejecting initial attempts by some nations to negotiate exceptions for their own arsenals, as well as calls for a transition that would delay the ban for a decade or more. May 30, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Opening Remarks in the Closing Press Conference of the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions Delivered by Steve Goose, director of the Human Rights Watch Arms Division and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition This convention is a gift to the world. The real beneficiaries are the thousands of civilians who will not lose their lives or limbs to cluster munitions—cluster munitions that will never be produced and never be used. This is an all too rare example of governments responding to the call of civil society—a call to deal urgently and comprehensively with a humanitarian imperative. May 30, 2008 Oral Statement Printer friendly version US: Defeat at Clusters Parley US efforts to undermine a new treaty banning cluster munitions met with significant defeat today at the final negotiations in Dublin, Human Rights Watch said. May 28, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Cluster Munition Coalition Statement to the Committee of the Whole on the Agreement to Adopt the Cluster Munitions Convention Delivered by Steve Goose, director of the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition This convention is a comprehensive ban on cluster munitions as a class of weapons. In many ways it is more comprehensive than the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. It bans not just some cluster munitions, but all cluster munitions. It does not try to differentiate between good cluster munitions and bad cluster munitions, it bans them all. The weapons that are covered in the Article 2(C) exclusion cannot have the indiscriminate wide area effect and excessive unexploded ordnance effect of cluster munitions, and thus should not be considered cluster munitions. May 28, 2008 Oral Statement Printer friendly version NYT - Working Toward Safer Bombs: 2 Tracks
May 27, 2008 Media A cluster of excuses Britain, pushed by the US, is trying to insert a massive loophole in the treaty banning cluster weapons By Marc Garlasco, Senior Military Analyst Published in Guardian Online Before it is too late, the UK needs to start showing some humanitarian principles and some political backbone. As a close ally of the US and a major military player on the global stage, it is important that the UK remains on board the Oslo process. But it is also essential that the UK follow up on Brown's helpful statement this week and start standing for the interests of the victims - past, present and future - of these horrible weapons. May 23, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version US: Efforts to Weaken Cluster Ban Treaty Threat to US Humanitarian Aid Overblown The US government is trying to win dangerous loopholes in a new treaty on cluster munitions even though it is not participating in the international conference to hammer out a final text, Human Rights Watch said today. May 22, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version UK must stop clinging to cluster bombs By Marc Garlasco, Senior Military Analyst Published in The Independent, Open House Blogs We’ve gathered at the home of the Gaelic Games to write a major new piece of international law. Here in the massive Croke Park Stadium in Dublin, nearly 1,000 diplomats and campaigners are thronging the chilly halls to hammer out the final text of a treaty banning cluster munitions. The United Kingdom is one of the lynchpin nations here, but they are clinging to their last cluster munitions and have thoroughly isolated themselves. May 22, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Types of Cluster Munitions in Global Stockpiles Cluster munitions are stockpiled by at least 76 states and have been used in at least 31 countries and disputed territories. A total of 34 states are known to have produced over 210 different types of air-dropped, surface-launched, or submarine-launched cluster munitions including projectiles, bombs, rockets, missiles, and dispensers. This reference chart is organized by type of cluster munition and indicates which states stockpile them. It is not intended to be a complete accounting of stockpiles, and Human Rights Watch welcomes any clarifications, corrections, or updates from state representatives. May 19, 2008 Campaign Document Printer friendly version Interoperability and the Prohibition on Assistance Memorandum to Delegates of the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions A provision obliging states parties not to assist with prohibited acts is an accepted and essential part of a modern weapons treaty. The draft cluster munitions convention includes such a provision in Article 1(c). Article 1(c) is based on extensive precedent from past weapons treaties and is indispensable to the humanitarian goal of the convention. Because it prevents states parties from contributing even indirectly to the use of cluster munitions, it promotes the object and purpose of the treaty, which is to minimize civilian harm from the weapons. It also stigmatizes cluster munitions by declaring that states parties will not tolerate their use by anyone and contributes to deterring use by non-states parties. May 19, 2008 Background Briefing Printer friendly version Cluster Munition Coalition Statement to the Opening Plenary of the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions Delivered by Steve Goose, director of the Human Rights Watch Arms Division and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition Government delegates should be entering these negotiations with a great sense of excitement at the prospect of what you may be about to accomplish, and a great sense of responsibility. If you are successful in concluding a strong treaty banning cluster munitions, this will be hailed as one of the most important measures that governments have ever taken to protect civilians from the ravages of war, both during and after armed conflict. May 19, 2008 Oral Statement Printer friendly version Statement to the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions: Intervention to the Committee of the Whole on Interoperability Delivered by Steve Goose, director of the Human Rights Watch Arms Division and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition The most important thing is that states do not delete or undercut the prohibition on assisting non-signatories with the use of cluster munitions. This is a core prohibition that is essential to the strength of the treaty and to the promotion of the norm against the weapon. We understand that states want to ensure legal protections to their soldiers for any unintentional assistance that could occur during joint military operations. And we do not believe that mere participation in joint military operations is prohibited. May 19, 2008 Oral Statement Printer friendly version Statement to the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions: Intervention to the Committee of the Whole on Stockpile Destruction and Retention Delivered by Steve Goose, director of the Human Rights Watch Arms Division and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition It is still not clear why the proposed stockpile destruction deadline of six years is appropriate, as opposed to a shorter period. We have never seen the rationale for that particular number. The Mine Ban Treaty experience has shown us that difficulties in meeting deadlines have come not from too little time, or technical issues, or financial issues, but rather the political will and prioritizatoin to start early enough to finish on time. May 19, 2008 Oral Statement Printer friendly version Final Talks on Cluster Munition Ban Treaty States Should Resist Weakening Treaty in Any Way The more than 100 countries that will gather in Dublin, Ireland on May 19 to negotiate a new international treaty aimed at banning cluster munitions should reject attempts to weaken the treaty, Human Rights Watch said today. Participating countries are scheduled to adopt the final text of the treaty on May 30. May 16, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Timeline of Cluster Munition Use Human Rights Watch has updated its informational chart providing a timeline of cluster munition use. Cluster munitions have been used in at least 31 countries and disputed areas by at least 14 states. Non-state armed groups have also used cluster munitions in a limited number of cases, most recently by Hezbollah into Israel in July and August 2006. May 13, 2008 Campaign Document Printer friendly version Cluster Munitions in the Middle East and North Africa Cluster Munition Coalition Fact Sheet Prepared by Human Rights Watch In the Middle East-North Africa region Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Israel have produced cluster munitions; Egypt and Israel have exported cluster munitions; Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen stockpile cluster munitions. Cluster munitions have been used in Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the Western Sahara. May 8, 2008 Campaign Document Printer friendly version Letter to President of China on Arms Sale to Zimbabwe We write to urge the government of the People’s Republic of China to immediately recall the shipment of weapons aboard the An Yue Jiang, currently off the coast of southern Africa. We also urge you to ensure that no further arms and ammunition deliveries are sent to Zimbabwe while the very high risk exists of such weapons being used against the civilian population. April 22, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version China: Recall Arms Shipment Headed for Zimbabwe Weapons Sale Does Not Accord With Being a ‘Responsible Power’ The Chinese government should immediately recall the shipment of weapons aboard the An Yue Jiang intended for Zimbabwe and currently off the coast of southern Africa, Human Rights Watch said today. In a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao released today (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/04/22/china18618.htm), Human Rights Watch urged the Chinese government to cease all arms deliveries to Zimbabwe while the very high risk exists of such weapons being used against the civilian population. April 22, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version UK: Don’t Water Down Cluster Ban Treaty The UK government should abandon its insistence on exempting certain weapons from the new cluster munitions treaty whose text is being finalized next month, Human Rights Watch said today. The government is seeking to weaken the treaty in other ways as well, Human Rights Watch said. April 18, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version NPR - Assessing the Human Cost of Air Strikes in Iraq  As chief of high-value targeting for the Pentagon, Marc Garlasco helped plan the targets of laser-guided bombs during the invasion of Iraq. Now a senior analyst with Human Rights Watch, he visits war zones where he assesses the damage being done to civilians by bombs and lobbies for greater deliberation in the use of air power. Garlasco has provided assessments for Human Rights Watch throughout the world, including Israel and Iraq. © 2008 Fresh Air from WHYY (Run time 40 min 8 sec) April 8, 2008 Media |
 © 2005 Andrew McConnell/WpN
 Cluster Munition CoalitionInternational Campaign to Ban LandminesInternational Action Network on Small ArmsLandmine Monitor
Related Material Films screened in the HRW International Film Festival 2002: Stealing the Fire 2001: Unfinished Symphony 2000: A Greek Tragedy 1999: Zyklon Portrait 1999: Harmed Forces 1999: The Job 1998: Spotlights on a Massacre: 10 Films against Landmines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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