New York: Representatives of around 100 countries signed an historic UN-sponsored treaty formally renouncing the use of cluster bombs, a weapon that frequently kills innocent civilians and cripples communities for decades after hostilities have ceased, at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

In his message to the signing conference, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday asked all governments to sign and ratify the Convention without delay, adding that the Convention indicates a significant and fundamental change in the position of many governments. "The importance of this shift cannot be overemphasised," Ban said in message read by Sergio Duarte, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

"A great number of governments present here today, some with considerable defence and peacekeeping responsibilities, have concluded that their policies were not in full concurrence with their international obligations and could jeopardise recovery and development efforts," he added.

First used in World War II, cluster munitions contain dozens of smaller explosives designed to disperse over an area the size of several football fields, but often fail to detonate upon impact, creating large de facto minefields.

The failure rate makes these weapons particularly dangerous for civilians, who continue to be maimed or killed for years after conflicts end. Some 98 per cent of victims are civilians and cluster bombs have claimed over 10,000 civilian lives, 40 per cent of whom are children.

Adopted at a diplomatic conference in Dublin this May, the Convention on Cluster Munitions offers an unprecedented prohibition on the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of these weapons, representing the most significant humanitarian and disarmament treaty of the decade.

Source : PTI