The Cluster Munitions Coalition released its annual report on Monday, detailing the use and transfer of cluster munitions, along with the policies and practices of various countries and their implications under the international treaty banning these weapons. The 2024 report primarily focuses on developments and challenges pertaining to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty that prohibits all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions.
According to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a cluster munition is defined as “a conventional munition that is designed to disperse or release explosive submunitions each weighing less than 20 kilograms, including those explosive submunitions.” Many of these submunitions fail to explode, creating a long-term threat to civilians.
The report notes that in 2023, civilians accounted for 93% of all casualties caused by cluster munitions, with children comprising 47% of those harmed. Regions heavily impacted include Myanmar, Syria, and Ukraine. The report also mentions that 28 countries are either contaminated or suspected of being contaminated by cluster munition remnants. Newly recorded casualties in 2023 occurred in Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Yemen, among others.
The report highlights extensive usage of cluster munitions by Russian and Ukrainian forces in Ukraine, and mentions that Russia has continued to develop and produce new cluster munitions since 2022. It was also noted that US President Joe Biden authorized five transfers of US cluster munitions to Ukraine between July 2023 and April 2024.
The Convention, particularly Article 1, prohibits member states from assisting or encouraging activities related to cluster munitions. However, the report indicates that the US may still hold stockpiled cluster munitions at its military bases in several member countries. In one noted instance, even though Germany has publicly opposed the transfer of banned cluster munitions, it was found to have facilitated such a transfer to Ukraine from a US military base in Germany, as reported by HRW in July.
Additionally, HRW expressed concern over Lithuania’s withdrawal from the Convention, highlighting the need for countries to adhere to the treaty to protect civilians. Despite these challenges, member states have destroyed 100% of their declared cluster munitions stocks, totaling 1.49 million cluster munitions and 179 million submunitions.
The release of this report comes ahead of the 12th Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, scheduled to be held in Geneva from September 10-13.