Conference
The Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions, held 18-22 February 2008, was the largest disarmament meeting ever convened in New Zealand. The Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition played a crucial role in hosting the civil society delegation and working together with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to ensure a strong outcome. On the closing day of the conference, a total of 82 countries endorsed the Wellington Declaration committing to negotiate a treaty banning cluster bombs in Dublin, Ireland in May 2008.
The Wellington Conference set up a strong basis for the successful negotiations, which resulted in the adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions by 107 states on 30 May. The new treaty was opened for signature in Oslo, Norway on 3 December 2008, the international day for persons with disabilities. A total of 95 governments had signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions by February 2009, one year after the Wellington Conference.
The ANZCMC has prepared a narrative report and resources on the conference:
- Report on Activities
- Film – Chalk Action & Petition Handover (4 min)
- Film – Interview with ANZCMC Coordinator Mary Wareham (20 min)
- Photographs – ANZCMC activities at the Conference
Other Documents
- Questions & Answers on the Wellington Conference [PDF]
- Formal Programme [MS Word]
- List of Public Events
- List of Civil Society Participants [PDF]
- Draft Cluster Munition Convention Text [MS Word]
- Draft Wellington Declaration [MS Word]
Official website of the Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions