Cluster munitions
- What is a cluster munition?
- Why are cluster munitions a problem?
- What is New Zealand doing about cluster munitions?
What is a cluster munition?
A cluster munition is an area weapon, originally designed to target moving, dispersed, or concealed enemy forces. It normally comprises a canister containing a number of sub-munitions or bomblets, which are dispersed over an area.
Why are cluster munitions a problem?
Cluster
munitions in Afghanistan
Image courtesy of John Rodsted. Copyright John Rodsted
Cluster munitions have caused severe humanitarian harm to civilians in conflicts where they have been used.
While designed to explode on impact, many of the sub-munitions in cluster munitions fail and become a serious hazard in areas where they have been used. Following each conflict involving the use of cluster munitions, civilians have been killed or injured by sub-munitions which remain, sometimes many years after the conflict. In Southeast Asia for example, people still die each year from unexploded sub-munitions even though these were used there more than 30 years ago.
Children are disproportionately represented among cluster munitions victims.
Cluster
munitions in Afghanistan
Image courtesy of John Rodsted. Copyright John Rodsted
An additional hardship for civilians is the destructive effect of the use of cluster munitions on their homes and livelihoods. A cluster munition strike in a populated civilian area can have a serious and long-term impact on lives and property. Land contaminated with cluster munitions remnants prevents farmers returning to agriculture, in turn preventing them from earning a living or feeding their families. In Southern Lebanon, for example, large areas of land needed to generate income are unusable or extremely hazardous following the use of cluster munitions in the August 2006 conflict.
Existing international law has rules that require armed forces to differentiate between military objectives and civilian objects. It also requires military forces to deal with any dangerous explosive remnants left behind following an armed conflict. These rules, however, have not been sufficient to protect civilians from suffering serious harm from cluster munitions in conflicts where they have been used.
What is New Zealand doing about cluster munitions?
The New Zealand Defence Force currently has a team of ordnance experts working in Lebanon, participating in the United Nations-led clean-up operation of the estimated one million unexploded sub-munitions that affect the territory following the conflict in August 2006.
New Zealand Agency for International Development (NZAID) has provided assistance to cluster munition affected countries to boost clean-up operations, and to aid rehabilitation of cluster munition survivors and their communities. It also works in partnership with key UN agencies working in the area of cluster munitions.
New Zealand, through its diplomatic representation, has taken a strong position on the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions at international and regional meetings. The Wellington Conference is a continuation of that strong stance.
