Africa regional conference on the universialisation and implementation of the convention on cluster munitions

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Dear friends of the Convention,
 
First of all I would like to thank South Africa for organising this conference.

It shows your commitment to ensuring that the Convention on Cluster Munitions becomes an effective tool in assisting victims and ending all use of cluster munitions.

Norway is proud to be your partner in this effort.

We have now reached the necessary 30 ratifications for the Convention to enter into force, which will be on 1 August 2010. This is a great inspiration for us in our preparations for the First Meeting of States Parties, which will take place in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 9–12 November this year.

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about some key aspects of the process leading up to the signing of the Convention and the Convention itself. I will focus on the decisive role played by strong partnerships in the process, and conclude with some observations on the way forward.

When the Oslo Declaration was adopted by 46 states almost three years ago, our mandate was clear: to conclude by 2008 a legally binding instrument prohibiting cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.

Thinking back, it is incredible that we were actually able to achieve the Convention in such a short period of time.

And for me, that raises the question: Why did the Oslo process succeed?

I believe, first and foremost, it was because the focus throughout the process was on facts and realities from the situation on the ground.

And those facts clearly showed the inaccuracy and unreliability of cluster munitions in operational conditions.

And the facts showed the unacceptable harm they cause during and after use.

The humanitarian consequences of the use of cluster munitions – in affected areas and as experienced by the victims – became the main point of reference.

This was important, because it created a shift with regard to who bore the burden of evidence. 

This resulted in a discourse in which the users, producers and stockpilers were called upon to demonstrate that their weapons did not cause unacceptable harm.

There is one more key aspect that I would like to emphasise about the process that led up to the Convention.

Undoubtedly, one of the keys to the success of our work so far has been the partnerships between states, civil society, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, all of which were accepted as full participants in the process.

The role of African states

Because, as you know, African states played a pivotal role in securing the Convention. The Livingstone Conference in March 2008 resulted in a consolidated African position prior to the final negotiations in Dublin.

This was followed up at the Kampala Conference in September 2008, which helped to mobilise the strong African participation at the Signing Conference in Oslo.

During the negotiations, individual African states and the African Group as a whole played a critical and constructive role, always working towards an ambitious end result, while at the same seeking common ground.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions would have been weaker in all key areas without the competent and concerted African effort.

Now our common challenge is to make sure that the obligations set out in the Convention are translated into reality on the ground.

Africa is much less affected by cluster munitions than it was by landmines, and the implementation challenges this time are quite different.

Affected areas need to be cleared and rendered safe again, but the main challenge is to ensure proper care and rehabilitation for the victims. The rapid destruction of remaining stockpiles is crucial to ensure that cluster munitions will never be used again.

The only way we can do this is to continue and further develop the partnerships of trust that have marked this process.

Norway is ready to be an active partner for African states in their implementation of the Convention, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on other security issues that need to be addressed.

The way forward

This regional conference has been a success.

Together with the regional meetings held last fall in Chile for the Latin American and the Caribbean states and in Indonesia for the Asian and Pacific states, this conference has been important to prepare a successful First Meeting of States Parties in Laos.

We warmly welcome the offer from Chile to host a global meeting on cooperation and assistance for all signatory states in Santiago on 7–9 June 2010.

The Santiago meeting will be important for two main reasons:

Firstly, its focus on cooperation and assistance will enhance our understanding of Article 6, which is key to the full implementation of the Convention.
As discussed here at the Conference, we have learned from the implementation of the Mine Ban Convention that implementation is not only about financial resources, but also about how the work is organised.

Secondly, the Santiago meeting will provide an important opportunity for informal discussions on our preparations for the First Meeting of States Parties. Here the active participation of African states will be crucial to ensure that we will be able to take the necessary decisions when we meet again in Vientiane.

As an example of African leadership in this process, Sierra Leone, Niger, Zambia, Burundi, Malawi and Burkina Faso’s rapid ratification helped ensure the swift entry into force of the Convention.

Let me take this opportunity to urge all other African states to sign and accede to the Convention without delay.

Let me conclude: while the entry into force of the Convention on 1 August 2010 will be an important milestone from a formal, legal perspective, we have already seen how the Convention has become a new benchmark for assessing how states conduct warfare.

The Convention strengthens the international norm regarding the protection of civilians in armed conflicts.

The Oslo Process came about in response to a humanitarian problem caused by the use of cluster munitions.

Therefore, the real measure of the success of our work is the actual difference the Convention on Cluster Munitions makes on the ground in affected communities.

The Convention is a framework for effective action
- to clear affected areas,
- to assist victims
- and to destroy the enormous stockpiles of these weapons.
 
But although we are focusing on the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Mine Ban Convention right now, we all know that we face other global challenges that are similar to those addressed by these conventions.

Armed violence causes unacceptable harm to civilians all over the world, every day. We need to act on these challenges – together.

Therefore, I would like to end my presentation here today with this point: The Norwegian Government will continue to focus on the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Mine Ban Convention.

But we also stand ready to cooperate with our partners in a broad range of arenas to continue working for the reduction and prevention of armed violence in the years ahead.

We look forward to being your partner in this important work.

Thank you.