http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 30 May 2008 15:29:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en (Dublin, Ireland: 30 May 08) This morning a total of 112 states adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This seems to be the name for our new treaty prohibiting the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster bombs. http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/31/dublin-10-treaty-adopted/ Yep, that's what we did today: slept in, wrote press releases, had a pep rally with Core Group ambassadors Alex Marshik (Austria), Don MacKay (New Zealand), and Steffen Kongsted (Norway) then adopted the CMC Action Plan for Rapid Entry into Force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions that I drafted ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/30/dublin-day-9-downtime-action-planning/ Treaty Breakthrough in Dublin: Cluster Bomb Ban Agreed (Dublin, Ireland) After nearly two weeks of intense talks in Dublin, negotiating states informally agreed late Wednesday to ban cluster munitions. Governments will formally adopt the Cluster Munition Convention on Friday, May 30 2008, and it will be opened for signature on ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/29/oxfam-nz-press-release/ (Dublin: 28 May 08) Today, on Wednesday afternoon, the President of the Dublin Conference, Irish Ambassador Daithi O’Ceallaigh presented his treaty text to the states in the Committee of the Whole for their consideration. The text is mostly strong, especially on the definition of a cluster munitions, but Article ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/29/dublin-delivering-the-deal/ This Friday night, Québécois pop star Céline Dion is holding a concert at our diplomatic negotiations venue, the massive Croke Park football stadium. Every time I walk down the corridors I see the stage being erected and her tune for the Titanic film comes into my head. We have ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/28/dublin-day-6-the-celine-dion-deadline/ (Dublin: 26 May 08) Two interesting side events took place during the lunchbreak at the Dublin Conference today. http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/27/dublin-day-6/ All participants to the Dublin conference were offered free tickets to see the Ireland vs Serbia football match at Croke Park this Saturday. http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/25/dublin-wend-ireland-vs-serbia/ On Friday, campaigners decided to draw more attention to the United States, described by the newsletter as an "elephant not in the room" at these negotiations to create the cluster bomb ban treaty. I headed over to the US embassy in Dublin around midday with a small, but vocal ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/25/dublin-day-5-the-elephant-not-in-the-room/ (Dublin: 22 May 2008) Outside the entrance to the main plenary room I've noticed a sign telling the story of "The Big Fight," a boxing match between then-heavy weight champion Muhammed Ali and Al "Blue" Lewis that took place in 1972 at Croke Park, the venue for our Dublin conference ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/23/dublin-day-4-the-big-fight/ (Dublin: 21 May 2008) The formal talks appeared to be progressing well on the third day of the Dublin Conference. The campaigners present in Dublin, especially from Africa and the Americas, are making significant progress through a concerted lobby effort, but the outcome of the conference is still unknown. ... http://www.stopclusterbombs.org.nz/2008/05/22/dublin-day-3/