To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the timetable is of the Oslo and UN Convention on Conventional Weapons organisations for the removal of all cluster munitions; and what progress is being made on such removal. (184532)

Neither the Oslo Process or the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) have the aim of the removal of all cluster munitions. The Oslo Process aims to conclude “by 2008” a legally binding instrument to prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. Detailed consideration of a draft text of a treaty will begin at a meeting in Wellington (18-22 February). Negotiations will conclude in Dublin (19-30 May). A signing ceremony is expected to be held in Oslo in the autumn.

At the CCW Meeting of State Parties in November 2007 a negotiating mandate on cluster munitions was agreed. Under this mandate a Group of Governmental Experts was tasked to negotiate a proposal to address the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions and report on progress to the next Meeting of State Parties in November 2008. Our aim, and that of our EU partners, is for the CCW to adopt a legally binding instrument by the end of 2008.

The UK’s active participation in both the CCW and Oslo Process demonstrates our continuing commitment to address the humanitarian concerns raised by cluster munitions.