Statement made on 01 December 2011 by Senator Elizabeth Hubley
Hon. Elizabeth Hubley:
Honourable senators, Saturday, December 3, marks the third anniversary since Canada joined countries from around the world in Oslo, Norway, for the official signing of the UN Convention on Cluster Munitions. The culmination of 18 months' work between civil society groups and participating states, the convention prohibits the use, transfer and production of cluster munitions, requires the destruction of existing stockpiles, and seeks to provide adequate resources to assist survivors and clear contaminated areas.
There are 111 countries that have now signed the convention, and 66 of these countries have ratified it. Although one of the first countries to sign, Canada has still not ratified the convention, which came into force on August 1, 2010.
Cluster munitions are an especially cruel, inhumane and indiscriminate form of weaponry as they are designed to inflict maximum damage over a wide area by dispersing a large number of sub-bombs. In addition to the immediate devastation they cause on impact, cluster munitions pose an ongoing threat to the local population in the form of unexploded components. As I reflect on the third anniversary of the signing of this important document, it is my hope that Canada will soon bring the required legislation before Parliament to officially ratify the convention.