Regrettable that Lithuania withdraws from Convention on Cluster Munitions

Cluster munitions kill and maim civilians and military personnel indiscriminately. Civilians are to be protected. But nonetheless, some 90 % of victims of cluster munitions are civilians. Norway was one of the initiators of the Convention on Cluster Munitions when it was adopted in Oslo in 2008. Lithuania has been a party to the Convention since 2011 but has taken the decision today to withdraw. Parties to the convention committed themselves to prohibit the production, use, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has dramatically changed the security situation in Europe. Lithuania’s decision to withdraw from the Convention is mainly based on the threat from Russia and Lithuania’s vulnerable geographic location.

‘We understand Lithuania's concerns, but disarmament conventions are not just commitments that apply in peacetime. They are even more important when countries are at war. The manner in which wars are fought has significance. That is why we must maintain international rules, norms and obligations for warfare, also when the security landscape changes. The enormous suffering of the people of Ukraine and Gaza is a stark reminder of this,’ said Mr Eide.

For many years, Norway has been actively promoting the humanitarian disarmament agenda, and is a major donor to global mine action. We support efforts to clear unexploded ordinance both during and after armed conflict in approximately 20 countries, including support provided through Norwegian People's Aid and other international actors.

Norway has sought, through diplomatic and political channels, to convince Lithuania to remain a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This was also among the topics of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre's conversation with the President of Lithuania today.