“In its 14 years of existence, the Oslo Convention has been incredibly effective in protecting civilians: two thirds of the countries in the world adhere to the values of the Oslo Convention; producers of this weapon have decreased by a third, stockpiles of states parties are destroyed, significant support has been provided to survivors and needs to continue. States Parties to the Convention need to condemn Lithuania’s decision to withdraw from it. They must defend the Convention and also condemn any use of cluster munitions by any actor, as well as the long-term humanitarian impact that results from it. Any civilian casualty is an outrage,” says HI Advocacy Director Anne Héry.
Worrisome development in 2023
The 2024 Monitor recorded a total of 219 cluster munition casualties in 2023, a figure that is certainly significantly underreported due to limited access to conflict zones and inconsistencies in data collection. Also, the number of indirect victims is again much higher as the contamination of land prevents access to the necessities of life.
Civilians accounted for a staggering 93% of all recorded casualties in 2023, with children particularly at risk.
In 2023, there were 118 casualties from cluster munition attacks and 101 from unexploded submunitions. The casualties were recorded in 9 countries.
Children accounted for almost half (47%) of all casualties from cluster munition remnants in 2023.
Ukraine remains the epicentre of cluster munition attacks for the second consecutive year, with at least 90 casualties recorded in 2023. Other affected regions by cluster munitions attacks include Myanmar (13 casualties from attacks); Syria (15); and Russia, which reported one civilian casualty.
In 2023, casualties from unexploded submunitions were documented in Iraq (26), Laos (8), Lebanon (3), Mauritania (3), Azerbaijan (1), Syria (13), Yemen (30), and Ukraine (17).
The Convention at risk
Lithuania has officially withdrawn from the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions on 25 July. This decision comes amid a risk of gradual erosion of international standards in recent years that is unacceptable: one year ago, the United States decided to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions and have continued to do so.
Germany media outlet ARD revealed on 25 July that US cluster munitions stored on a US military base in Germany have been transferred to Ukraine for use in the war with Russia, transiting across Germany in the process. Such actions could potentially amount to assistance in prohibited activities under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, such as transfer and use of cluster munition.
The 2024 Monitor also reports another troubling development: The increase of cluster munition producers, passing from 16 to 17 with the addition of Myanmar.
An international convention joined by two thirds of the world countries
The Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted on 30 May 2008. It was then opened for signature on 3-4 December 2008, and it officially entered into force on 1 August 2010.
As of today, 123 states have committed to the convention’s strong and comprehensive norms. This represents over 60% of the world’s nations.
A weapon outlawed for a reason
These weapons have been banned because of their catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Cluster munitions can be fired from the ground by artillery, rockets, missiles, and mortar projectiles, or dropped by aircraft. They open in the air, dispersing multiple submunitions or bomblets over a wide area, without distinguishing between civilian populations and militaries or between civilian and military infrastructure. Moreover, many submunitions fail to explode on initial impact – up to 40% of them – leaving duds that can indiscriminately injure and kill like landmines for years.
See the full Cluster Munition Report (external site)
