GROUP OF EXPERTS TO CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CONVENTION TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS

The Second 2009 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 14 to 17 April 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 to the next Meeting of the High Contracting Parties in November 2009.”

During the First 2009 Session in February Mr. Gustavo Ainchil of Argentina tabled a consolidated Chair’s text, which was annexed to the report of the meeting and will constitute the basis for the negotiations during the second session of the Group.

The session aims at producing a final draft proposal to the next Meeting of the High Contracting Parties in November 2009.

Background

The humanitarian impact of cluster munitions has been discussed within the 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 since 2001, first - under a broader theme of explosive remnants of war, and since 2007 – as the main item of the agenda of the Group of Governmental Experts.

The Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention that was held on 13 and 14 November 2008 decided that:

“The Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) will continue its negotiations, taking into account document CCW/GGE/2008-V/WP.1 and other present and future proposals by delegations, to address urgently the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions, while striking a balance between military and humanitarian considerations.

The GGE should make every effort to conclude its negotiations as rapidly as possible and report to the next Meeting of High Contracting Parties.

The work of the GGE will be supported by military and technical experts.”

For more information pertaining to the CCW, consult the official website of the CCW as part of the website of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) at: http://www.unog.ch/ccw.


For use of information media; not an official record

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