Download PDF - Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor

© Mary Wareham/HRW, September 2011
Contamination and Clearance
Summary
A total of 24 states and three other areas were believed to be contaminated by cluster munition remnants as of 31 July
2012. Ten of these states have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, while another three have signed, but not yet
ratified. Seven states—Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Cambodia, Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Serbia, and Vietnam—as
well as Nagorno-Karabakh have estimated contamination that covers more than ten square kilometers of land.
The Monitor has calculated that in 2011, at least 52,845 unexploded submunitions were destroyed during clearance
operations of some 55km 2 of land contaminated by cluster munitions in 10 states and two other areas. This data is,
however, known to be incomplete.
Five contaminated States Parties and signatories conducted clearance of unexploded submunitions in 2011; Croatia,
Iraq, Lao PDR, Lebanon, and Norway. Afghanistan cleared abandoned cluster munitions at Kabul Airport. Clearance of
cluster munition remnants was also conducted in non-signatories Cambodia, Libya, Serbia, South Sudan, and Vietnam,
as well as Nagorno-Karabakh and Western Sahara. The Republic of the Congo (Congo), signatory to the convention,
is believed to have completed clearance of unexploded submunitions in 2012, while in 2011 non-signatory Thailand
completed clearance of its sole area contaminated by cluster munitions.
Global Contamination
Cluster munition remnants are defined in the convention as covering four types of hazard; unexploded submunitions,
unexploded bomblets, failed cluster munitions, and abandoned cluster munitions. 1 Unexploded submunitions pose the
greatest threat to civilians, primarily as a result of their sensitive fuzing, but also because of their shape, color, and metal
content, which often attracts tampering, playful attention, or collection, especially by boys and young men.
During a
field visit to
Nabitiye,
Lebanon,
clearance
personnel
demonstrated
their work for
delegates to
the Second
Meeting
of States
Parties to the
Convention
on Cluster
Munitions.
States and other areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants
Africa Americas Asia-Pacific
Europe, Caucasus,
and Central Asia
Middle East and
North Africa
Chad Chile Afghanistan BiH Iraq
DRC Lao PDR Croatia Lebanon
Mauritania Cambodia Germany Libya
South Sudan Vietnam Montenegro Syria
Sudan Norway Western Sahara
Azerbaijan
Georgia (South Ossetia)
Russia (Chechnya)
Serbia
Tajikistan
Kosovo
Nagorno-Karabakh
5 states 1 state 4 states 10 states and 2 areas 4 states and 1 area
Note: Convention on Cluster Munition States Parties and signatories are indicated by bold and other areas by italics
1
Unexploded submunitions are submunitions that have been dispersed and have landed, but have failed to explode as intended. Unexploded
bomblets are similar to unexploded submunitions but refer to “explosive bomblets” which have been dropped from a fixed-wing aircraft
dispenser but have failed to explode as intended. Failed cluster munitions are cluster munitions that have been dropped or fired but the
dispenser has failed to disperse the submunitions as intended. Abandoned cluster munitions are unused cluster munitions that have been
left behind or dumped, and are no longer under the control of the party that left them behind or dumped them. See Convention on Cluster
Munitions, Article 2, paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7, and 15.
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