The Vatican's top diplomat signed
and ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty which
would ban the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions.
The treaty also forces nations to destroy their existing stockpiles within eight
years, and clear contaminated land within a
decade.
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti
Secretary for
Relations with StatesFirst, we want to express human closeness to the
victims that the Holy See and its institutions wish to emphasize. We would then
launch an appeal to all countries, the well known producers, exporters and users
of cluster munitions to join the present signatories to make sure that the
message of all the victims and all countries seriously affected by these weapons
was heard.Cluster munitions are weapons which release hundreds of
smaller submunitions, deployed by airplanes or artillery units during military
conflicts. The submunitions are scattered during dispersal and make no
distinction between military or civilian targets. And the ones that fail to
detonate on impact often become antipersonnel mines which can kill or main
people long after the conflict is over. Afghanistan, Lebanon, Vietnam, and
Cambodia are some of the countries still dealing with cluster munitions in the
aftermath of conflicts on their soil.
93 other countries
signed the convention in Oslo, Norway in early December, but the Holy See was
the first to ratify it.
Card. Renato Martino
President,
Pontifical Council Justice and PeaceThe Holy See was part of a core group of
countries that has discussed and brought to an end this convention, because the
Holy See views every weapon as a potential instrument of destruction, especially
these cluster weapons which are the epitome of harm.Several countries
have not yet signed on to the treaty, most notably major weapons manufacturing
states like the United States, Russia, and China. However, other countries who
have not yet signed the treaty will be able to do so in the future at the United
Nations.
