Source: CMW
Context: Lithuania officially withdrew from the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), becoming the first country to exit the treaty since its adoption.
About Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM):
What is the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM)?
- The CCM is an international treaty that prohibits the use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster munitions due to their long-term humanitarian risks.
- Adopted in 2008, the treaty entered into force on 1 August 2010.
- It aims to eliminate cluster bombs, which pose a grave threat to civilians even after conflicts end.
Members & Non-Members:
- 112 states are parties to the convention, with 12 additional signatories yet to ratify it.
- India, the U.S., Russia, China, Ukraine, and Israel have not signed the treaty, citing military and strategic concerns.
Key Features of the CCM
- Comprehensive Ban: Prohibits the use, development, stockpiling, transfer, and production of cluster munitions.
- Assistance to Affected Areas: Requires members to clear contaminated areas and provide aid to victims.
- Destruction of Stockpiles: Signatories must destroy existing cluster munition stockpiles within eight years of joining.
- Prevention of Assistance: Member states cannot assist, encourage, or induce any nation to engage in banned activities.
- International Cooperation: Promotes collaboration in demining, victim support, and destruction of stockpiles.
What are Cluster Munitions?
- Cluster munitions are explosive weapons that release multiple smaller bomblets (submunitions) over a wide area.
- They are used to target dispersed military assets like tanks, infantry, and artillery formations.
- Features of Cluster Munitions:
- High Submunition Count: A single cluster bomb can contain several to 600+ bomblets.
- Delivery Mechanisms: Launched via aircraft, artillery, or missiles, they scatter bomblets mid-air before impact.
- Lack of Precision: Most bomblets are free-falling and unguided, leading to widespread unintended destruction.
- Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Risk: Many bomblets fail to detonate on impact, remaining dangerous for decades, similar to landmines.
