Human Rights Watch reprimands Syria, fails to cite UNSC/U.S. cluster bomb use

Stop killing, Stop Cluster Bomb production, use, stockpiling by all nations -- no exceptions

Editing, comment by Carolyn Bennett

Cluster Munition Coalition reports

AFFECTED COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES

Affected by cluster munitions from use in armed conflict: 37 countries and territories [none are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council]

A

fghanistan, Albania, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Chechnya, Croatia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falklands/Malvinas, Georgia, Grenada, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Mauritania, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nagorno-Karabakh, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand Uganda, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Zambia, Yemen

USERS OF CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Used cluster munitions: 19 countries

[In red permanent members of the United Nations Security Council]

C

 olombia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Morocco, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Former Yugoslavia (Serbia), Sudan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

 

PRODUCERS OF CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Produced/still producing cluster munitions: 35 countries

[In red permanent members of the United Nations Security Council]

A

rgentina, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

 

STOCKPILERS OF CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Stockpiles cluster munitions: 86 countries

[In red permanent members of the United Nations Security Council]

A

lgeria, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zimbabwe

H

uman Rights Watch reports today

“(Washington, DC) – Compelling evidence has emerged that an airstrike using cluster bombs on the town of Deir al-`Assafeer near Damascus killed at least 11 children and wounded others on November 25, 2012. The Syrian government should immediately cease its use of this highly dangerous weapon, which has been banned by most nations.”

“At least 16 governments have condemned Syria’s use of cluster munitions, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

I

n my view, it is dishonest and cowardly for either permanent members of the UN Security Council, who have failed to sign or become member states to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, or Human Rights Watch to cite or reprimand Syria for alleged bombing and as a non member to the CCM and fail to cite and reprimand in context the United States' leading model in using, making, stockpiling the munitions and failing to become signatory or member to the Convention.

This is why nonprofits, “rights” organizations, and the “international community” increasingly show themselves as and are judged lacking in credibility.   

Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) reports

C

onvention Status 

The Convention was adopted in Dublin by 107 states on May 30, 2008, and signed in Oslo on December 3 the same year. 

The Convention became binding international law when it entered into force on August 1, 2010.  

 By October 8, 2012, a total of 111 states have joined the Convention, as 77 States Parties and 34 Signatories.

77 States Parties (by region)	34 Signatories (by region)
Africa (22)	Africa (20)
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia	Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, South Africa, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania
Americas (16)	Americas (6)
Antigua and Barbuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay	Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Paraguay
Asia (3)	Asia (2)
Afghanistan, Japan, Lao PDR	Indonesia, Philippines
Europe (30)	Europe (3)
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the FYR of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom	Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein
Middle East (1)	Middle East (1)
Lebanon	Iraq
Pacific (5)	Pacific (2)
Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa	Nauru, Palau

States adopting the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008

107 states adopted the Convention in Dublin on May 30, 2008:

AFRICA: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia

AMERICAS: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela

ASIA: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor-Leste

EUROPE: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (FYR), Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom

MIDDLE EAST: Bahrain, Lebanon and Qatar

PACIFIC: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu

Sources and notes

Cluster Munition Coalition

http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/the-problem/countries/

Cluster bomb image caption: A screenshot from an unverified video posted by opposition activists purportedly showing cluster bombs in Deir al-Asafir

Human Rights Watch today

“Syria: Evidence Shows Cluster Bombs Killed Children ─ All Governments Should Press Damascus to Stop Using Cluster Munitions,”  November 27, 2012, http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/27/syria-evidence-shows-cluster-bombs-killed-children-0

Convention on Cluster Munitions – CCM

http://www.clusterconvention.org/ratifications-and-signatures/

THE OSLO PROCESS

In February 2007, 46 governments met in Oslo to endorse a call by Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to conclude a new legally binding instrument in 2008.

The Convention prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions, and requires states to destroy existing stockpiles of the weapons, clear contaminated areas and assist survivors and affected communities.

Subsequent international Oslo Process meetings were held in Peru (May 2007), Austria (December 2007), and New Zealand (February 2008).

Some 107 countries negotiated and adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions in May 2008 in Dublin, Ireland.

The convention was signed by 94 countries at the Signing Conference in Oslo in December 2008 and entered into force as binding international law on 1 August 2010, after it reached the threshold of 30 ratifications in February 2010, just 15 months after it opened for signature.

All countries can still accede to the convention at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/the-problem/

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