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The European
Parliament adopted a resolution reaffirming the need to strengthen
international humanitarian law as it applies to cluster munitions and
speedily to adopt at international level a comprehensive ban on the use,
production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. It stated its
strong supports for the Oslo Process, which followed from the Oslo Declaration,
adopted on 22 and 23 February 2007, according to which it was agreed that by 2008 a legally binding international instrument would be concluded that would prohibit the use,
production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause
unacceptable harm to civilians. In order for
any international instrument to be effective, it must as a minimum include
the following provisions: - a
prohibition on the use, production, financing, transfer and stockpiling of
cluster munitions; - a
prohibition on providing anyone with assistance in relation to the use,
production, transferor stockpiling of cluster munitions ; - an
obligation to destroy stockpiles of cluster munitions within a specified
period of time, which must be as short as possible ; - an obligation
to mark, fence and clear contaminated areas as soon as possible, but no later
than a specified deadline, and to establish effective capacity to carry out
these actions; an obligation to provide assistance with marking, fencing and
other warnings, with risk education, and with clearance; users of cluster
munitions should be under special obligations to provide such assistance,
including provision of timely and detailed information on use; - an
obligation to provide assistance to victims through, for example, the
implementation of data collection, emergency and continuing medical care,
physical rehabilitation, psychological support, social inclusion, economic
inclusion and/or reintegration, legal support and disability laws and
policies. Members called
for an immediate moratorium on using, investing in, stockpiling, producing,
transferring or exporting cluster munitions, including air-dropped cluster
munitions and submunitions delivered by missiles, rockets, and artillery
projectiles, until a binding international treaty has been negotiated on the
banning of the production, stockpiling, export and use of these weapons. All
EU Member States must adopt national measures that fully ban the use,
production, export and stockpiling of cluster bombs. Parliament called
on all states which have used cluster munitions and comparable weapons that
produce explosive remnants of war to accept responsibility for the clearance
of these munitions and, in particular, to keep accurate records of where such
munitions have been used, in order to help clearance efforts following
conflict. Such records should be used to provide local populations and
humanitarian aid workers with clear warnings in relation to dangerous areas.
Under no circumstances should EU Member State troops make use of any type of
cluster munitions until an international agreement on the regulation,
restriction or banning of these weapons has been negotiated. Parliament
underlined the responsibility of a State in control of territory to provide
warnings and take measures to protect the civilian population, including
through education, and to provide special information on how victims of ERW
can be assisted. All EU Member States which have used cluster munitions were
asked provide assistance to affected populations. Members called on the
Commission urgently to increase financial assistance to communities and
individuals affected by unexploded cluster munitions through all available
instruments. Parliament recalled that the effects of cluster munitions are
highly indiscriminate, as their users do not distinguish between military
personnel and civilians, and that it has been documented that 98% of their
victims are civilians. Lastly,
Parliament called on the Council to adopt a common position committing all
the EU Member States to push for a strong negotiating mandate within the
framework of the CCW and to support the Oslo Process.
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