Geneva: Cluster bombs are munitions consisting of a projectile known as a parent munition that transports several hundred bomblets, or cluster munitions. Dropped by aircraft or launched from the ground, cluster bombs are designed to be dispersed over a wide area the size of several football pitches.
The issues caused by cluster munitions are not new. For over 40 years, these weapons have inflicted significant harm on civilians in nearly every conflict where they have been deployed—both during active fighting and long after hostilities have ended.
Civilian casualties during conflicts often result from the wide-area impact of cluster munitions, which scatter numerous explosive submunitions across large areas. Some models can release hundreds of submunitions over areas exceeding 30,000 square meters. Due to their free-fall nature, factors such as wind and human error can cause these submunitions to stray far from their intended targets.
Moreover, a significant portion of these submunitions often fail to detonate on impact, leaving behind vast tracts of land contaminated with deadly unexploded ordnance. This lingering threat has caused thousands of civilian deaths and injuries. The presence of unexploded submunitions makes essential activities like farming perilous and delays the reconstruction and development of critical infrastructure such as roads, railways, and power systems. Clearing these remnants is a complex and hazardous task, with some nations grappling with the problem for decades.
In 2008, states negotiated and adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the problems associated with these weapons. It prohibits the use, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention and transfer of cluster munitions.
It mandates states to destroy their stockpiles and clear areas contaminated by unexploded or abandoned submunitions. Importantly, it also requires states to provide medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support, and socioeconomic inclusion for victims. Additionally, states capable of offering assistance are obliged to support other nations in fulfilling their commitments under the Convention.
