19/02/2010 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 19.02.2010 - Ahead of the entry into force on August 1 of the Convention on cluster munitions, Johannes Pflug (Germany, SOC), rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on the ban on cluster munitions, today made the following statement:
"Following the recent ratification of the Convention by Moldova, this legal instrument can now enter into force. We can all be proud of the successful outcome of this long process led by the international community, including the Assembly, which last May adopted Resolution 1668.
Under this convention, the participating states confirm that cluster munitions, which have caused so many losses in recent decades, are not only morally reprehensible, but are now considered illegal.
I reiterate our Assembly’s call to the Council of Europe member states, states holding observer status with the Organisation and states whose parliaments hold observer status with the Assembly which have not yet acceded to the Convention to do so without delay.
As parliamentarians, we now have a key role to play by taking the necessary legislative steps to implement the Convention, including the introduction of criminal sanctions for all activities prohibited by the treaty”.