Stop Cluster Bombs

Parliament starts to act on cluster bombs

mary — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:12:27 +0000

Parliament’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee met twice in May 2009 to consider the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. It issued a “treaty examination” report recommending that the Minister of Disarmament “expeditiously” progress a bill through the House to implement the treaty domestically. The annexed National Interest Analysis (NIA) prepared by MFAT provides some recommendations on content for the proposed “Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill,” which will be “broadly similar” to the Anti-Personnel Mines Prohibition Act 1998 that implemented the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. (more…)

NZ: Ratify Cluster Bomb Ban!

mary — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:40:01 +0000

Press Release (29 May 2009) -

NEW ZEALAND URGED TO RATIFY CLUSTER BOMB BAN
New report details New Zealand’s role in creation of the new treaty

The New Zealand government needs to step up its ratification of the new treaty banning cluster bombs said the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition today.

“New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to sign the treaty banning cluster bombs, but our ratification of this crucial agreement is lagging,” said Mary Wareham, coordinator of the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC). “There is a clear humanitarian imperative to ensure that this treaty takes effect as quickly as possible to avoid future casualties from cluster bombs,” she added. (more…)

NZ and cluster bombs in Afghanistan

mary — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:38:57 +0000

Campaigners in New Zealand are seeking assurances from the government that our troops will not be expected to assist with the use, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions in Afghanistan. The Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC) has written to Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Murray McCully following a request from the United States that New Zealand recommit Special Air Services (SAS) troops to the US-led NATO operation in Afghanistan. (more…)

Video on Dublin Negotiations

mary — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:11:40 +0000

DraftFCB, the advertising agency that has helped our campaigning immensely in Aotearoa New Zealand, has just uploaded to YouTube the video of an interview that Mary Wareham did back in July 2008 after the Dublin negotiations and adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The video is available for viewing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4CIL8n6QCc (more…)

Oslo Report on Activities

mary — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:17:13 +0000

This coordinator of the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition, Mary Wareham, has drafted a report on the campaign’s activities at the Convention on Cluster Munitions Signing Conference held in Oslo, Norway on 2-4 December 2008. (more…)

New Zealand among first treaty signatories

mary — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:27:04 +0000

New Zealand was one of the first countries to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions at a high-level signing conference in Oslo, Norway on 3 December. By the close of the two-day conference a total of 94 nations had signed the treaty, which bans cluster munitions outright and provides strong humanitarian provisions for their clean-up. (more…)

The Final Countdown!

mary — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:38:03 +0000

Governments gather in Norway to sign global treaty

(Oslo, Norway) Heads of State, Foreign Ministers and senior government representatives from around the world are this week gathering in Oslo, Norway to sign a new international treaty prohibiting cluster bombs. The Convention on Cluster Munitions will be opened for signature on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and anniversary of the 1997 signing of treaty banning antipersonnel landmines. (more…)

Action 5: Vietnam

mary — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:48:44 +0000

This final of five daily action alerts issued by the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition targets VIETNAM, an affected country that has not yet decided if it will sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions this December… (more…)

Action 4: Tell Thailand to sign!

mary — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:37:20 +0000

This is fourth of five daily action alerts issued by the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition. It targets THAILAND as the country has not yet decided if it will sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions this December… (more…)

Action 3: Please do it Poland

mary — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:12:29 +0000

This third daily action alert by the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition targets POLAND, which has not yet decided if it will sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions this December… (more…)