Cluster munitions are inaccurate and unreliable weapons that by their very nature pose unacceptable dangers to civilians.  They pose an immediate threat during conflict by randomly scattering thousands of submunitions or "bomblets" over a vast area, and they continue to take even more civilian lives and limbs long after a conflict has ended, as hundreds of submunitions may fail to explode upon impact, littering the landscape with landmine-like "duds." Governments responded to this humanitarian threat by creating the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of cluster munitions. The treaty requires destruction of stockpiles of the weapon within eight years and clearance of affected areas within 10 years, and also establishes a strong framework for assistance to cluster munition victims. More than 110 states have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions and are working to implement its provisions. Human Rights Watch is campaigning to ensure that more states join the Convention on Cluster Munitions and that it is implemented strongly and without delay.
Read more about which states have taken action to eliminate cluster munitions in Cluster Munition Monitor.