As a result of Canadian leadership, the landmine treaty (or Ottawa Treaty as it is commonly known) became the most rapidly ratified disarmament treaty in history (1997).

This year Canada is celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the treaty.

Not surprisingly, the most recent use of cluster munitions by Israël and Hezbollah and the significant post-conflict human suffering Lebanon continues to experience, pushed the issue of cluster munitions to the forefront of the CCW agenda, the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons that took place in Geneva in November 2006.

Handicap International is member of the board of directors of the “Mines Action Canada” (MAC) coalition, which supports the elimination of suffering caused by landmines and other anti-personnel weapons such as cluster munitions.

Since 2000, MAC has called for a moratorium on the use of cluster munitions due to the harm they have caused to civilian populations in at least 24 countries.

Unfortunately, Canada is not among the states in support of continuing discussions on clusters and other weapons within the CCW.

Over 73 countries, including Canada, stockpile cluster munitions. It is estimated that these stockpiles contain over a billion sub-munitions. Canada announced in August 2005 that it has retired and will destroy its inventory of cluster bombs but its completion has not been confirmed.

As stated by AMC, it is time for the Canadian government to take the first step concerning the storing and the “propagation” of these kinds of heinous weapons.

Canada is a party to the CCW but has not yet ratified Protocol V. In June 2006, Canada declared that the ratification process was underway.

 Here is some important information about Canada:

- Production of cluster munitions: Canada has never produced cluster munitions.

- Stockpiling of cluster munitions: in 2005, Canada decided to destroy all of its Rockeye cluster munitions (which comprised the majority of its stock). Two-thirds of the Rockeyes have been destroyed to date.

- Transfer of cluster munitions: we have no information available.

- Use of cluster munitions: never been used by Canada.

- Position regarding cluster munitions: generally, Canada believes that existing humanitarian laws and Protocol V in particular, if correctly applied, are sufficient to address potential problems caused by unexploded cluster munitions.

However, the Foreign Affairs Minister "wishes to limit the unnecessary suffering of civilians caused by conflict". Canada "will examine the results of the CCW and will also consider the initiatives of other countries to determine the most appropriate means to address this issue".