Reply #5: 82 countries sign Wellington Declaration on cluster munitions (Xinhua) [View All]

[struggle4progress]

82 countries sign Wellington Declaration on cluster munitions
2008-02-22 18:04:47

WELLINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Eighty-two countries present at a cluster munitions conference in Wellington this week have signed the "Wellington Declaration", a crucial step toward a meaningful international treaty on cluster munitions, New Zealand Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff said on Friday.

The week-long conference, which ended on Friday, was attended by officials from 103 countries. It has been a pivotal stage in the Oslo Process, which New Zealand and six other countries started last year following frustration at a lack of progress from the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Goff said in a press release.

"The Wellington Declaration creates political momentum and will form the basis of formal negotiations at a diplomatic conference in Dublin in May, which aims to create a treaty banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians," he added.

The "Wellington Declaration" arising from talks this week has provided a draft treaty which its promoters hope will become legally binding at an international meeting in Dublin in May ...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/22/content_7649022.htm