Launch of Mine Action Review’s “Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2017” report at the International Cluster Bomb Ban Meeting
On Tuesday 5 September 2017, the third edition of the Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants report was launched at the Seventh Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, at the United Nations in Geneva. The annual report is produced by Mine Action Review, an independent research project, which serves as primary source of research, data, and analysis on Mine Action for the sector.
Clearing Cluster Munition Remnants 2017 examines cluster munition remnant contamination worldwide and the progress being made to address it. It includes country-by-country research on contamination, programme management, land release, and compliance, coupled with an analysis of the programme performance of each national mine action programme, a performance commentary, and recommendations for action.
The report serves as a strategic tool for all stakeholders engaged in mine action, identifying the issues hindering progress in cluster munition survey and clearance. It is hoped that it can be used to bring together national authorities, clearance operators, donors, and other stakeholders to discuss where attention should be focused to help improve efficiency and drive forward progress in clearing submunitions and removing the risk to lives and limbs posed by this indiscriminate weapon.
Under Article 4 of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, States Parties are obligated to complete clearance as soon as possible but not later than ten years from entry into force. The first of the clearance deadlines are now only a few years away, but very few States Parties are currently on-track to meet their deadline. This should be cause for concern, as with political will, sustained funding, and application of efficient land release techniques, it is possible for all but the most heavily contaminated countries to complete cluster munition clearance within a few years. There is also a moral obligation for states to free affected communities from the threat posed by this especially dangerous form of unexploded ordnance as soon as possible.
The report can be found on the Mine Action Review website, and includes a joint foreword from the Steinar Essen, Head of NPA’s Humanitarian Disarmament Department, and his counterparts at MAG and HALO Trust. NPA encourages all partners and stakeholders to read, discuss, and share the report, as part of our collective goal to rid the world of cluster munition contamination.