I am most grateful to Deputy Michael Woods, Chairman, and members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs for giving me the opportunity to make a presentation on the subject of cluster munitions. I express my sincere thanks to the committee for inviting me and giving me the opportunity over many years to raise issues of our concern especially on the subject of landmines, blinding laser weapons and, last year, on cluster munitions.
Global conscience is awakened and the spirit of humanity is forging ahead bringing governments, NGOs and international institutions together towards securing a total ban on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster munitions. These indiscriminate weapons have been devastating the lives of people for over four decades. They should have existed only in history books decades back.
I met some of the survivors of cluster munitions in Vienna last week at the conference on cluster munitions organised by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria, a member of the core group of the Oslo process. I am carrying their pain in my heart and of those I have come to know through their photographs and stories. Their faces and injuries are imprinted in my mind and my heart says to them, "I won't let you down." I made a promise to Soraj Ghulam Habib from Afghanistan, Ahmed Yasim Nejem from Iraq, Sladan Vockovic and Branislav Kapetanovick from Belgrade that I would share their stories with you. These stories are with the papers we have circulated. Today their pain is being translated into an action of hope for future generations, leading the international community towards a comprehensive ban on cluster munitions. Seventy six countries stockpile these weapons and 34 countries have produced them. Stocks of cluster munitions reach into the billions, presenting an alarming potential for future harm. Thirty countries and regions are affected by cluster munitions. It is estimated that more than 80 million cluster bomblets were dropped in Laos in the 1960s which are still killing and maiming adults and children every year.
In 1999, millions of these bomblets were dropped in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo. Last year, it is estimated that 1 million bomblets were dropped in the 72 hours before the ceasefire in Lebanon. Already a contaminated country with landmines, unexploded ordnance and cluster bombs from previous incursions, Lebanon is facing a major challenge to clear its land. These mines and cluster bombs will continue to claim lives for decades and undermine post-conflict rehabilitation and economic recovery of the affected areas. Banning and clearing landmines will be of little value if similar situations are created and multiplied by the use of other weapons like cluster munitions. People will continue to be killed and maimed for generation after generation. The credibility of the Government's development and aid policies demands that these weapons are totally banned.
In my presentation to the committee on 5 December 2006, I urged the Government to play an effective role towards securing a total prohibition on the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster munitions by its active participation in international initiatives to address the issue comprehensively and effectively; to enact a national law prohibiting the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of cluster munitions as we know them; to support research, publication and awareness-raising initiatives on this subject nationally and internationally; to increase support for the clearance of contaminated land by landmines, cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance; to increase support for mine risk education, and to increase support for the rehabilitation of mine survivors and their socio-economic integration.
One year later and with far greater urgency, I again call on the Government to introduce legislation without delay to outlaw these weapons by banning the possession, use, production, development and transfer of cluster munitions for all time. Regretfully, I must report that currently there are no steps being taken in this direction. This prohibition should be of the highest standard and absolutely flawless, drawing only congratulations from around the world, adding dynamism to the Oslo process and giving hope to the victims and the marginalised who are facing the consequences of the use of these weapons everyday in their lives. If major European powers were facing the same challenge, they would have developed new laws and interpreted the existing laws to put these types of weapons in the history books. The unfortunate thing is that many of these countries produce, stockpile, transfer and use these horrific weapons.
The basic tenet of international humanitarian law is that the right of combatants to choose their means and methods of warfare is not unlimited. More than 40 years of the use of cluster munitions, resulting in civilian deaths and an impact on lives and livelihoods during conflict and post-conflict situations, understates the case for a total ban on cluster munitions. A legally binding instrument is long overdue. It is time for Ireland to demonstrate that political and moral courage in leading the world, along with civil society and progressive governments, towards a total ban on cluster munitions. Let us ensure the hopes and expectations of the world community for a total ban on cluster munitions become a reality through the Oslo process.
Dear members of the committee and Members of the Oireachtas, I am pleading with you on behalf of the suffering people to stand with victims and stand with us to ban cluster munitions forever, in order that children can run free in the fields, go to school and that their parents can till their land and draw water from their wells without the fear of being blown up by cluster bombs or landmines.
Ireland is a small country with a big heart and has taken giant steps in the field of disarmament. In 1968, Frank Aiken's skill and commitment gave the world the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and this has prevented nuclear proliferation and secured commitment for a total nuclear disarmament. During the final hours of negotiations, Ireland was one of the three countries which saved the Ottawa process to ban landmines from being weakened during the negotiations in Oslo in September 1997. In 1998, Ireland developed the New Agenda Coalition for nuclear disarmament with partner countries which secured the unequivocal commitment from the nuclear weapons states for total nuclear disarmament at the review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 2000. It is time again for Ireland to demonstrate that skill and commitment and lead by example. The text of the mine ban convention was negotiated in September 1997, but Ireland had the moral and political courage to enact a unilateral ban on landmines in June 1996, way ahead of the final negotiations.
The Oslo meeting on cluster munitions was announced in November 2006 in Geneva. The first meeting of the Oslo process was held in February this year, followed by meetings in Lima in May and Vienna in December. In the meantime, many other meetings also have taken place regarding the process in Belgrade, Brussels, Costa Rica, Geneva and Stockholm, and will be followed by meetings in Wellington in February and Dublin in May 2008. Ireland is a member of the core group and a comprehensive ban on cluster munitions by Ireland will be a crucial contribution towards strengthening and leading global opinion for a total ban. I call on Ireland and its legislators to take that vital step and enact a total ban by February 2008.
Despite being a member of NATO, Belgium had the political courage to be the first country to enact a law prohibiting cluster munitions which came into force on 9 June 2006. Last Wednesday, 5 December 2007, Ms Ursula Plassnik, Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs, stated at the Vienna conference on cluster munitions:
I am proud to inform you that the Austrian Parliament will adopt tomorrow a national law that bans the possession, use, production, development and transfer of cluster munitions. Once this law is in force, all types of cluster munitions will be illegal, including so called "intelligent" sensor-fused munitions. We hope that this law will become a trend setter and we stand ready to assist other states in their own legislative efforts.
I congratulate Belgium and Austria for taking these bold steps. As Ireland does not posses cluster munitions or use them, I would have personally liked very much if it could have been the first country to do so. An announcement of a total legislative ban on cluster munitions by Ireland at the Wellington conference of the Oslo process in February 2008 would add further dynamism and accelerate the process, stimulating global movement towards a comprehensive ban. The prohibition should include all types of cluster munitions.
The origins of the current NGO initiative to ban cluster munitions lie in the international conference on explosive remnants of war and development organised by Pax Christi Ireland and hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin Castle in April 2003. The international NGO community has great expectations for Ireland and hopes it will play a skilful and vigorous role in securing a total ban on cluster munitions throughout the Oslo process and beyond. I also urge the Government to support and influence other governments to join the process. This would be a significant contribution before Ireland hosts a meeting on the subject as a member of the core group.
We need world leaders with a vision of a just peace. We need leaders with intellectual rigor and the political and moral courage to create a just society for all humanity. Let us transform our destructive power into a creative service of healing the woundedness of our world. Let us open our hearts to the pain and suffering of the people injured by these terrible weapons and ban them forever. Let beauty emerge from chaos. Let violent fists open into peaceful hands stretching our sense of family to include all those injured by these weapons — children, men and women without limbs and sight. On their behalf, I plead with members of the committee to ban these weapons totally. I seek their leadership and that of Ireland to make our world cluster munitions free.