1. The Committee of
Ministers has carefully reviewed Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1871 (2009) on a “Ban on cluster munitions”, in the light of Parliamentary
Assembly Resolution 1668
(2009)
, and both texts have been brought to the attention of
member states’ governments. It has also communicated them to the
Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) and to the Committee
of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI).
2. The Committee of Ministers is fully aware of the suffering
caused by cluster munitions to civilians and of the dangers these
weapons expose them to. Cluster munitions also impede post-conflict
rehabilitation and reconstruction and can delay or prevent the return
of refugees and internally displaced persons as well as negatively
impact on national and international peace-building and humanitarian
assistance efforts. The Committee agrees with the Assembly to ban
those cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians and
have other severe consequences that can persist for many years after
use.
3. The Committee welcomes the fact that, since the adoption of
the Assembly’s recommendation, the number of ratifications of the
Convention on Cluster Munitions has increased to 30 and that thus
the convention will enter into force on 1 August 2010. It notes
that a large number of Council of Europe member states have either
ratified or signed the convention (ratifications: 17; signatures:
15) and encourages all member states which have not yet done so
to sign and ratify as soon as possible. It agrees with the Assembly
that pending such time as they become parties to the convention,
they should sign and ratify Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of
War to the UN Convention on Prohibitions and Restrictions on the
Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively
Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects.
