The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is a multilateral disarmament treaty that comprehensively bans cluster munitions — air-dropped or ground-launched weapons that scatter multiple small submunitions ("bomblets") over a wide area. The treaty was adopted in Dublin on 30 May 2008, opened for signature in Oslo on 3 December 2008, and entered into force on 1 August 2010 after the 30th ratification.
States Parties undertake never to use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain, or transfer cluster munitions, and never to assist anyone else in doing so. Core obligations include:
- Stockpile destruction within eight years of entry into force for that state.
- Clearance of contaminated areas under the state's jurisdiction within ten years.
- Victim assistance, including medical care, rehabilitation, and socio-economic inclusion for survivors and affected communities.
- International cooperation and assistance to help other States Parties meet their obligations.
- Transparency reporting to the UN Secretary-General.
The CCM grew out of the Oslo Process, launched by Norway in February 2007 after negotiations within the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) stalled. Civil society — particularly the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) and the ICRC — played a central role, echoing the model of the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines.
Notable non-parties include the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, Brazil, and both Koreas. Several major military producers and users have therefore remained outside the regime, limiting its universality. Use of cluster munitions by non-parties — for example in Syria from 2012 onward, in Yemen, and by both Russia and Ukraine during the war that escalated in February 2022 — has continued to draw condemnation from States Parties and the CMC.
Implementation is monitored through annual Meetings of States Parties and Review Conferences (held in 2015 in Dubrovnik and 2020–21 in Lausanne), supported by the Cluster Munition Monitor, an annual report produced by the CMC.
Example
In 2023, States Parties to the CCM publicly criticized the United States' decision to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine, though neither country is party to the convention.
Frequently asked questions
The United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, Brazil, and both Koreas are not States Parties, limiting the treaty's reach among major producers and users.
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