Broad support for negotiations on a ban on cluster munitions

The initiative for an international ban on cluster munitions taken by the Norwegian Government last year (the Oslo Process) has now entered its decisive final stage. 

“A ban on cluster munitions that have unacceptable humanitarian consequences is about fulfilling our humanitarian obligation to put a stop to the use of a weapon that severely harms civilians and impedes development. The conference in Wellington gained the broad support both of countries affected by cluster munitions and of countries that possess such weapons. We now have a good starting point for the negotiations in Dublin,” says Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. 

More than 100 countries participated in the fourth conference in the Oslo Process, which was held in Wellington, New Zealand, from 18 to 22 February. More than 80 countries immediately endorsed the Wellington Declaration on the prohibition on the use of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians and the provision of care and rehabilitation to survivors.  

“New Zealand did an excellent job in organising and hosting the conference, which lived up to all our expectations. The result shows that there is broad support for negotiating an international treaty in accordance with the Oslo Declaration,” says Mr Støre. 

Norway will continue its broad-based cooperation with various countries and organisations to mobilise support for the process and ensure that the negotiations in Dublin in May lead to a good, realistic result.