Convention on Cluster Munitions

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (also known as the Oslo Treaty) was opened for signature in December 2008 in Oslo, Norway. It entered into force on August 1, 2010, six months after the 30th ratification. The Convention is now binding international law for all states who have signed.

As of May 2013, 112 countries have joined the Convention and 82 are States Parties. The U.S. has yet to join this life-saving treaty. Has your country signed or ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions?

Obligations for states

This international law that bans the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster bombs. Countries choose whether or not to sign up to it. By joining the Convention, states commit to respect all the obligations it contains.

Article 1: General obligations
Each State Party undertakes never to:- use, stockpile, produce and transfer cluster munitions
- assist, encourage or induce anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party.

Article 3: Storage and stockpile destruction
Each State Party undertakes to destroy all stockpiled cluster munitions under its jurisdiction and control as soon as possible but not later than 8 years after the entry into force of the Treaty for that country.

Article 4: Clearance
Each State Party must clear and destroy cluster munitions located in contaminated areas under its jurisdiction or control. This must be completed as soon as possible but not later than 10 years from the entry into force of the Treaty for this country.

Article 5: Victim assistance
Each State Party must provide assistance to cluster munition victims in areas under its jurisdiction or control.

This assistance covers:

Data collection
Healthcare
Physical rehabilitation
Psychological support
Social and economic inclusion
National laws and policies on disability

Article 6: International cooperation and assistance
Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance to any other State Party on the overall obligations of this Treaty.

Article 7: Transparency measures
Each State Party must provide an annual report on its implementation of the Treaty, covering issues such as national implementation measures, quantity and type of weapons stockpiled and destruction of stockpile.

Key facts

The states having signed the Convention represent

the majority of countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific
most of the countries affected by cluster munitions
the majority of the European Union member states
most members of NATO
one-third of countries having used cluster munitions
40% of countries producing these weapons
half of countries that have exported them
one-third of stockpiling countries

Non-signatory States to the Convention represent

the majority of countries in Asia, Middle East, Northern Africa and the Caribbean
nearly two-third of countries having used cluster munitions
two-thirds of stockpiling countries, the biggest stockpilers being the United States, China and the Russian Federation
17 countries suspected of still producing cluster munitions in 2009
Half of exporting countries, of which the largest are the Russian Federation and the United States. However the United States has passed a law to forbid the export of most of their cluster munitions.

Campaign with us

Call your Senators—tell them it's time to ban cluster bombs!

Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and join more than 700,000 people worldwide in the fight against cluster bombs!

Lend your support to the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines (USCBL)

The USCBL is one of 100 country campaigns that comprise the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)—co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. We need more voices in the U.S. to remind lawmakers that cluster munitions are indiscriminate weapons that have no place in the U.S. arsenal.