Press release
'Towards a global treaty to ban all cluster munitions'
Development and cooperation - 25-10-2007 - 13:29
Plenary sessions
Plenary sessions
In adopting a joint resolution entitled "Towards a global treaty to ban all cluster munitions", MEPs reaffirm the need to strengthen international humanitarian law (IHL) 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, and therefore strongly supports the Oslo Process launched in February 2007.
The House calls 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 to ban the production, stockpiling, export and use of these weapons.
MEPs call on all EU Member States to adopt national measures that fully ban the use, production, export ant stockpiling of cluster bombs.
The House calls on all States which have used cluster munitions and comparable weapons that produce explosive remnants of war to accept responsibility for 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.
The European Parliament calls on all Member States which have used cluster munitions to provide assistance to the populations affected.
Finally, the House calls on the Commission urgently to increase financial assistance to communities and individuals affected by unexploded cluster munitions through all available instruments.
REF.: 20071024IPR12335