2026 Monitor Warns of Growing Threats to Cluster Munition Ban

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND —The 2026 Cluster Munitions Monitor, published today, September 8, reveals that casualties from this weapon are extremely high in 2025, with 1,063 people reported killed or injured. 87% of the reported casualties are civilians. Cluster munitions were used by Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand, and Ukraine; other possible users could not be verified. Lithuania's withdrawal from the Convention in 2025 is another blow to its effectiveness. States will convene at the Convention's Third Review Conference on September 14–18 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, where they must reaffirm their commitment to the Convention.

 Anne Héry, HI Advocacy Director, states, 

“Every year, civilians represent the vast majority of victims. One can become a victim of a cluster munition during an attack or long after the fighting ends, as many submunitions fail to detonate on impact, becoming long-lasting unexploded ordnance that has the effect of landmines and continues to kill or maim civilians.” She adds, “States using these weapons today, whether or not they have joined the Convention, must be unequivocally condemned. Lithuania's withdrawal from the Convention in March 2025 further erodes the humanitarian disarmament norm. States convening at the Third Review Conference in Laos from September 14 to 18 must reaffirm their strong commitment to the treaty and their condemnation of any use by any state.”

The report is published by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC), of which Humanity & Inclusion is a founding member.

This Year’s Monitor Reveals Urgent and Troubling Findings:

 The 2026 Cluster Munition Monitor reports a deeply troubling level of civilian harm caused by cluster munitions, with 1,063 casualties recorded globally in 2025 alone, the second-highest annual total since the Monitor began recording data.

• Civilians accounted for 87% of casualties recorded in 2025. Children remained particularly vulnerable to unexploded submunitions.
• New casualties from cluster munition attacks (946) and remnants (117) were recorded in nine countries in 2025: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and Ukraine.
• For the fourth consecutive year, Ukraine registered the highest number of victims, reflecting the ongoing and devastating use of these weapons in conflict zones: Ukraine suffered at least 927 casualties from cluster munitions in 2025 (902 from attacks and 25 from remnants).
• Lithuania decided to leave the Oslo Convention in September 2024. This decision took effect on March 6, 2025.

 Thoummy Silamphan, a cluster munition survivor in Laos, says,

“By sharing our stories and lived experiences, survivors like me help others better understand the challenges and needs of unexploded ordnance victims. Our voices also play a vital role in advocating for stronger support, victim assistance, and continued efforts to eliminate the impact of cluster munitions.” He continues, “Unfortunately, we are no longer a priority for many donors, which is why advocacy on cluster munitions remains so important. At the upcoming conference, I hope the Lao government will take a strong leadership role in implementing the Convention and will showcase its achievements and commitments to all participating delegations. Increased funding is essential to address the recent decline in financial support and to ensure that affected communities and unexploded ordnance (UXO) survivors continue to receive the assistance they need.”

 How Important This Treaty Is

 Cluster munition remnants still contaminate 27 countries and 2 other areas, and two other areas are suspected to be contaminated.

 States Parties contaminated with cluster munition remnants released 113.98 km² of hazardous area through clearance, technical survey, and non-technical survey during 2025, an increase of more than 15% compared to 2024.

 Land release resulted in the destruction of at least 64,898 cluster munition remnants in 2025. This was fewer than the 83,452 remnants destroyed in 2024, even as the total area of land released increased.

The Challenge of Clearing Cluster Munitions

 Cluster munitions scatter over wide areas, often leaving hundreds of unexploded bomblets behind. Many fail to detonate on impact and act like hidden landmines for years. They are often found in farmland, villages, and schools, putting civilians, especially children, at risk.

 Clearance of cluster munitions is extremely dangerous due to the high risk of accidental detonation, especially with unstable or degraded submunitions, posing a significant threat not only to civilians but also to clearance staff.

Because of their sensitive nature, teams destroy submunitions in place and, in many cases, do not move them. This requires highly trained teams, specialized equipment, and long-term operations.

The Convention at Risk

Lithuania has officially withdrawn from the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, effective March 2025. This decision comes amid a risk of gradual erosion of international standards in recent years, which is unacceptable.

The 2026 Monitor also reports 18 producers (or states that reserve the right to do so) of cluster munitions: Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkiye, Ukraine, and the United States. The most recent evidence of production in 2026 concerns China, India, Israel, North Korea, Romania, Russia, and South Korea.

An International Convention Joined by Two-Thirds of the World's Countries

The Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted on May 30, 2008. It was then opened for signature on December 3–4, 2008, and officially entered into force on August 1, 2010. As of today, 112 states are full States Parties to the Convention, with 12 additional signatories, and 124 states in total have committed to the Convention's strong and comprehensive norms. This represents over 60% of the world's nations.

The next Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions will take place in Laos from September 14 to 18. This country still holds millions of remnants of cluster munitions used decades ago.

For humanitarian-impact stories, check this article: Lidiya’s Second Life: Surviving a Cluster Munition in Kharkiv.

 Access the latest edition of the Cluster Munition Monitor 2026.

 For more information, check our explosive weapons and cluster bombs pages.

 Spokespersons are available for interviews upon request.