Civil Society Forum on Cluster Munitions, Oslo 21.02.07 - Opening remarks

Opening remarks by Minister of Int. Development Erik Solheim

Oslo 21 February 2007 

Dear all,

• We have come here today because we share the same concern: Cluster munitions are killing and maiming innocent people, and hampering development and peace in many parts of the world. This suffering is unacceptable.

• We have also come here today because we think we can do something about it – together.

• Many individuals and societies are already suffering because of cluster munitions. The possibility of proliferation of this weapon is overwhelming. To prevent future humanitarian and socio-economic disaster we must act now – and we must act together with those who share our concern.

Our proposed solution is a new international, legally binding instrument that will:

• stop the use of these weapons
• prevent proliferation, and
• facilitate assistance to the victims and affected societies.

The instrument should be:

• a legal instrument banning the types of cluster munitions with unacceptable consequences,
• a tool for prevention of a future humanitarian disaster that proliferation would cause, and
• a framework for assistance and cooperation.

• Today we know of 23 affected countries. If we look at the landmine-problem before the Mine Ban Convention was established, more than 90 countries were affected.

• Our common challenge is to avoid that the problem of cluster munition is spreading, becoming a problem as serious as the landmine problem was.

• This year we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mine Ban Convention, negotiated in Oslo and signed in Ottawa in 1997. We celebrate the success of a convention that has saved and helped thousands of people.

• We celebrate the partnership between civil society and states. We celebrate a partnership that led to an efficient ban on a humanitarian unacceptable weapon, and a much deserved Nobel Peace Prize to The International Campaign to Ban Landmines and its leader Jody Williams. In the coming days we want to start a similar process on cluster munitions.

• It is a great pleasure and honour to have Jody Williams on board the cluster munitions initiative. A warm welcome to Oslo, Jody! Your previous achievements are a great inspiration to us all and I’m certain that you will make important contributions to the success of the cluster muntions initiative.

• The civil society organizations represented here today have made us aware of the suffering caused by the use of cluster munitions. You have demanded a response from states to a humanitarian unacceptable situation. From the Norwegian side, we are committed to answering your call.

• Through partnership with you and affected countries, and countries that might become future affected countries, Norway will seek to stop existing stockpiled munitions to ever have to be cleared from the ground.

• Together with you, our civil society partners, we will carry out the work necessary for people never to become victims, and for societies to never have to spend scarce resources on the effects of cluster munitions. We did away with the land mines, now the time has come to cluster munitions.

• We need an instrument to protect civilians, during and after conflict. This is particularly urgent when we look at the many refugees and internally displaced that can not return to their homes after war because of cluster munitions littering their way home. Or the many tilling their fields with their own lives at risk, due to cluster munitions.

• 98% of all victims after armed conflicts are civilians, according to international research. Children are particularly vulnerable and represent a disproportionally large group of victims. In a longer perspective children also pay the highest price: The socio-economic consequences of lack of development are loss of opportunity for a better future.

• The international community spends 40 million USD every year on mine action and clearing ground. In addition to this comes the unknown price of resources that could have been spent in other ways - if there were no cluster munitions – on health care, in education, in productive work and development.

• An international ban on cluster munitions need to be developed in an effective and transparent multilateral framework, in a process that is inclusive to all relevant stakeholders; states, civil society, the Red Cross movement and the United Nations.

• Over the past months the numbers of individuals, parliamentarians, humanitarian organisations, the Red Cross movement and governments who have called for concrete actions that will halt the use of these weapons have increased. This emerging global alliance can bring about these actions.

• Tomorrow more than 40 states, UN organisations, the International Red Cross Committee and the Cluster Munitions Coalition, will meet here in Oslo to discuss realistic and effective measures to prevent this humanitarian and development crisis from continuing and expanding.

• The ambition of my government for this Conference is to agree to a time bound action plan for developing and implementing a new international instrument of international humanitarian law, addressing all the unacceptable aspects of cluster munitions. There is a great urgency and we think this should and could be done by 2008.