GROUP OF EXPERTS TO CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CONVENTION TO MEET FROM 7 TO 25 JULY TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS

The Third 2008 Session of the Group of Governmental Experts of the High Contracting Parties to the 1980 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW) will convene from 7 to 25 July at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The Group will continue to "negotiate a proposal to address urgently the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions, striking a balance between military and humanitarian considerations," a decision by the 2007 Meeting of States Parties. The Group was also requested to negotiate "as rapidly as possible and report on the progress made to the next Meeting of the High Contracting Parties in November 2008."

For the purposes of the advancing the work, the Chairman has prepared a substantive paper titled "Cluster Munitions". The Chair's paper attempts to build on the views and inputs expressed by the participants at its first and second sessions to be used as a basis for discussion. The Group will address, in particular, such issues as General provision and scope of application; Definitions; Protection of civilians and civilian objects; General prohibitions and restrictions; Storage and Destruction; Transfers; Clearance and destruction; Recording, retaining and transmission of information; Protection of humanitarian missions and organizations from the effects of cluster munitions; Victim assistance; Co-operation and assistance; Consultations; and Compliance. A provisional programme of work for the session has also been circulated.

The session aims at producing a draft proposal (Protocol) the text of which would be further refined in subsequent 2008 sessions to be held in September, and November.

The Convention was opened for signature at New York on 10 April 1981 and entered into force on 2 December 1983. It currently has 105 States Parties, and six countries have signed but not yet ratified the Convention. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the depositary of the Convention.


For use of the information media; not an official record

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