Ban Advocates Blog - Statements

Raed’s speech, Middle East Victim Assistance Workshop, May 25th and 26th, Amman, Jordan

Stephanie Castanie — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:05:00 +0200

Raed Mokaled, Ban Advocate, 25th May 2010

As the Middle East is a region that is heavily affected by mines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war and counts many related casualties, Handicap International thought it timely to organize a workshop on victim assistance in Amman, where several members from the civil society as well as governments attended.

Raed, together with his older son Adam, attended the workshop. When speaking about the situation of victim assistance in Lebanon, Raed had the opportunity to deliver a moving speech. Download Raed’s speech:

Raed's speech in Amman

Ban Advocates at the Africa Regional Conference on the Universalisation and Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, 25 - 26 March 2010, Pretoria, South Africa

Stephanie Castanie — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:04:00 +0200

Berihu had the opportunity both to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony, and to present the situation of Survivor Assistance in Africa during the session 4 of the conference on National implementation, Cooperation and Assistance.

Download Berihu's opening speech :

Berihu's opening speech

Download Berihu's VA session speech :

Berihu's VA session speech

Thi's statement, Opening Session, Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Bali, Indonesia, 16 November 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0100

Pham Quy Thi, Ban Advocate, 16 November 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank the host country, Indonesia, and sponsoring countries of Australia, Austria, Germany and Norway, and the international organizations for organizing such an important conference in Asia as the most cluster munition affected region in the world.

It’s an honor for me to speak on behalf of the thousands of cluster bomb survivors in this important conference. My name is Pham Quy Thi and I am a cluster bomb survivor from Vietnam. In 1977 while I was working in my rice field, I accidentally hit a cluster bomb and lost my right arm. Suddenly I became an amputee, I was too depressed to live but thanks to support from the community and my family, I survived the tragedy and continue working to support my children. But still to this day, a number of metal fragments are still lodged in my body.

More than three decades after the war ended in Vietnam, explosive remnants, including unexploded cluster bombs still pose a deadly threat to the lives and livelihoods of Vietnamese people. Actually, more than 100,000 people have been killed or injured because of explosive remnants of war. Like a lot of my fellow people, I am expecting Vietnam to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions soon to secure much needed international assistance for cluster munition victims.

I have a dream of a peaceful world in which cluster munitions are banned by all countries forever for the sake of our children who will have a safe environment to study and prosper. Therefore, I call on more countries to jointly participate in this global effort to make it happen by signing, ratifying and putting the convention into practice and implement the Convention very soon.

I desperately call on the international community to take action in providing support to the affected countries including Vietnam which is struggling to overcome the consequences of war. This is a great chance to speed up clearing contaminated land for our farmers to continue working without fear, for our children to have a brighter future as well as to bring new hope and opportunities to the survivors of cluster munitions.

I wish you a successful conference.

Thank you very much.

Pham Quy Thi

Huong's statement, Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Bali, Indonesia, 16 November 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:50:00 +0100

Nguyen Thi Huong, Ban Advocate, Vietnam

Distinguished participants!

Ladies and gentlemen! It is a great honor for me to participate in the regional conference on the promotion and universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. My name is Nguyen Thi Huong. I am an indirect victim of cluster munitions from Vietnam.

In 1991 my husband had a cluster bomb accident while working in our own garden. Because of the explosion, my husband lost his left leg and more painfully, my then four-year-old daughter who was playing near her father was killed. I still feel terrified whenever I recall it. The accident caused a huge pain and a nothing can compensate these losses to my life.

My family has encountered a lot of difficulties since then because my husband as the breadwinner was made permanently disabled, thus placing all family affairs on my shoulders.

Distinguished participants!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Three decades after the war, unexploded cluster munitions that remain still kill or injure people in Vietnam, one of the most affected countries. In my home province alone, cluster bomb accidents account for about 35% of the total casualties since the war ended. Children are the most vulnerable to cluster bomb risk because of the restless and curious nature of children. Last July in Hai Lang District, three children were killed on the spot because of cluster munitions while herding buffaloes.

Obviously, the impact of cluster munitions is enormous, not only to my family but also to the community. There is no peace of mind for those who have to work on contaminated land. Most of the cluster bombs survivors, such as my husband, lost their working ability forever, resulting in a huge burden on their families and the society as well.

I would like to end my speech by taking the opportunity of being present in this regional conference to call for more international efforts towards quick entry into force of the convention on cluster munitions, for more countries to sign, and for more international cooperation and assistance for victim assistance and to help affected communities.

Finally, I wish you all good health and a successful conference.

Thank you

Nguyen Thi Huong

Bounmy's statement, Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Bali, Indonesia, 16 November 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:40:00 +0100

Vijak Bounmy, Ban Advocate, Lao PDR

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

My name is Bounmy. I am a cluster munition survivor coming from Lao PDR.

One morning in 1996, I was digging the ground. Suddenly, a cluster submunition exploded. Villagers heard the explosion and they came to see me and brought me home.

When my parents saw me, they were devastated and they thought that I was dead. But I felt such a pain and I cried out. At this time, my parents and my relatives realized that I was still alive. Then they transported me to the hospital. It took about 2 hours to get there.

Doctors did not have any other choice to cut off my arm.

When I returned home, I felt hopeless. I had to face so many difficulties. I felt depressed and I wanted to kill myself.

I was not able to work and to help my family. My friends had gone.

I have been encouraged by my family, whom take care of me. Thanks to this support, I decided to continue to study, and to follow vocational training. Now I have a motivating job. But I know that many cluster munition survivors do not have work.

My country already signed and ratified the Treaty, and I hope other affected countries will follow that example.

Vijak Bounmy

Soraj's statement, Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Bali, Indonesia, 16 November 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0100

Soraj Ghulam Habib, Ban Advocate, Afghanistan

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

I am Soraj Ghulam Habib coming from Herat in Afghanistan. I lost both of my legs and one of my fingers in a cluster munition explosion in 2001.

Cluster munitions prevented me from attending school, playing with other kids, and participating in other social activities. At this time, cluster munitions destroyed my dreams.

In addition, it really affected my family as my father had to pay the medical cost and other related costs for me. Accessing my house became a problem. With my family, we did not face only economical and educational difficulties but also psychological support was not provided for any traumatic situation we have had to face.

When I was in Oslo with the Ban Advocates, I knew that Afghanistan was not ready to sign. But when I spoke with the Afghan Delegation on the day of the signing conference I was very happy to hear about the news that Afghanistan would sign.

I thank my country Afghanistan for signing the Convention on Cluster Munitions. I request Afghanistan to ratify and not to let it be just a piece of paper, but to put it into practice, and to make a real change in the life of the victims.

If you do not want to have your citizens, in particular your children, face the challenges I am facing, as many countries as possible, and especially in this huge affected region, must sign, ratify and implement the Convention to save the lives of human beings from the nasty effects of cluster munitions.

I kindly request the countries that signed and ratified the Convention to help other countries financially and technically to plan action, especially for Victim Assistance.

We, the Ban Advocates, came here to the Conference for your support and we are ready to work with you and our governments at national level in developing action plans for the support of victims to meet their needs.

Survivors know best what they need. So listen to us.

Soraj Ghulam Habib

Lynn' statement, UN first Committee, 23 October 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0100

Lynn Bradach, Ban Advocate, 23 October 2009 © Mary Wareham

My name is Lynn Bradach and I am a member of the Ban Advocates, a team of survivors of Cluster Munitions. I am here today to honor my son Travis who chose to stay in Iraq to clear unexploded ordnance and it was this that led to his being killed during clearance by a cluster munition.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions was opened for signature on December 2008. Since then already 100 States signed it, and 23 ratified it.

Building on the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, this Convention banning a whole category of unacceptable weapons is a groundbreaking new international instrument, with strong provisions in particular regarding the rights of affected communities and survivors. It is a pragmatic solution to the urgent need to prevent the future proliferation of weapons that have killed and injured so many civilians during the last 40 years. But now we must ensure that it will bring real improvements in the lives of these people in the field. We need first to reach the seven final ratifications to trigger entry into force as early as possible in 2010, and to get further ratifications so that a maximum of countries participate as States Parties in the First Meeting of States Parties to be organised by Lao PDR in November 2010. Next year, various events should pave the way to these common objectives including a global conference to prepare the work of the First Meeting of States Parties, the global celebration of entry into force by civil society and governments alike, and a series of regional conferences to promote adherence to the Convention ahead of its First Meeting of States Parties.

We also urge all signatory States not to wait until entry into force to start the implementation of the Treaty’s provisions. Stockpiles can be destroyed now (as many States have started doing already); clearance is already going on and must be accelerated through increased funding from donor countries; victim assistance is a lifelong obligation and affected and donor States must engage immediately and for the long term to ensure the needs of victims are met.

Finally, we hope many other States not already on board will join the treaty very soon, and we are confident that national measures such as those taken by Singapore and the US to unilaterally ban the export of cluster munitions will help to solidify the emerging global norm against this stigmatised weapon.

To achieve these ambitious but achievable goals, the encouraging momentum of these last months around the Convention needs to be maintained, with the increased participation and leadership of survivors, and thanks to the continuous partnership between States, international organisations and civil society that was so crucial in the success of the Oslo Process. On behalf of the members of the Cluster Munition Coalition around the world, let me assure you, that civil society will remain committed and ready to work with all of you in order to reach our common goals.

Lynn Bradach

Branislav' statement, Berlin conference on the destruction of cluster munitions, 26 June 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:00:00 +0200

Branislav Kapetanovic, Ban Advocate, 26 June 2009

Your Excellences, ladies and gentlemen, dear fellow activists

On behalf of the Cluster Munition Coalition I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the German Government for the swift organization of this conference after the treaty was signed in Oslo. Since then I received the Tipperary Peace Award in Ireland on behalf of CMC, now we have this important meeting. This momentum is a huge boost to all of us in our work.

As we leave to go home to our own countries, we must follow up on the commitments made here to destroy stockpiles and to work with other countries not here to help them join the treaty and destroy their stocks. Simply put, the only way to ensure there is no more use of this weapon is to convince all countries to sign it and to destroy their weapons as states here are doing. I believe in all of you and I am sure that you will do everything in your power to urge other countries to join this treaty.

Germany you have led the way by marking the beginning of the destruction of cluster bombs at this meeting. You have proven with your actions that nothing, not even a global economic crisis, can stop the process to destroy all cluster munitions from stockpiles. You have motivated all of us in our own countries to start the same process as soon as possible, without any delays. We do not yet know how large the stockpiles are around the world or how long it will take to dispose of them, but we have learnt a lot this week and we have seen that it can be done. That there are many options and that help and support is available. We urge all stockpilers to start early and do your best to finish this task as soon as possible within the treaty deadline.

Today is one of the most beautiful days of my life because we have started a process to destroy the cluster bombs which have in the past destroyed thousands of lives, crippled many and destroyed any hope for a better life. Many of you may not even be aware of how drastically your life can change when you lose a part of your body and how terrible it is when your best friends, the ones with whom you have spent so much time in the past, forget about you and turn their heads away as if you are sick and pass you by like they don’t even know you. There are many more terrible things than this and I don’t want to talk about them now.

In the beginning I was in a very bad condition without any wishes or ambition, but when this process began my condition improved and gave me a ray of hope, a purpose in life; if I have not succeeded in helping myself, at least I have helped others by being involved in saving thousands and thousands of potential future victims. That is my purpose. This conference has had the same purpose: destroy these weapons now and prevent future victims. By the time of the First Meeting of States Parties next year in Laos, thousands and thousands of cluster bombs will already have been destroyed.

By starting the practical implementation of this agreement already before entry into force states confirm that only agreements which are practically realized have any meaning, and those that remain only words on paper are destined to be forgotten. This will not be the fate of the present agreement. It will endure as a landmark to both present and future governments, preventing them from using cluster bombs now or ever.

Thank You.

Branislav Kapetanovic

Mina' statement, Berlin conference on the destruction of cluster munitions, 25 June 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:24:00 +0200

Mina Zunac, Ban Advocate, 25 June 2009

My name is Mina Zunac. I come from Croatia and I am a survivor of cluster munition attack. 98% of recorded cluster munition casualties are civilians, and I am one of them, but I am not just another number. I am a person and I am willing to stand up and demand a change. I am a Ban Advocate.

Today I'll talk about national planning, reporting and international cooperation. What does it mean?

NATIONAL PLANNING –The first point we want to make is that we want you to destroy your stockpiles NOW and not on the eve of the 8 year deadline. Good, early national planning is necessary to do that, including gathering the numbers, types and location of all cluster munitions stocks, how much it will cost, and what technical and financial assistance may be needed.

Planning also includes determining what can be done in-country or if cluster munitions have to be transferred to another state. Planning also means mobilizing resources, national, or if needed, international. It means having a schedule, including when destruction should be finished.

Those are the things you need to plan really carefully – as was said earlier today – the clock will start ticking soon and 8 years go fast. Staes should have a plan in place within one year of entry into force and begin destruction within two years or less.

Planning should NOT take into account the possibility of an extension.

REPORTING – The treaty requires reporting on the amount of stockpiles, how states are progressing in destroying their stocks; on the amount of money and time it took to do that ….so your progress can be tracked. This is essential for getting the job done … and getting it done in time. States should also let other know about any technical, financial or other challenges they are facing.

Finally, since there is so little known now about stockpiles, we want to encourage states to make information on stocks known to-date, even before the treaty comes into force in order to build confidence, help understand what needs to be destroyed and make assistance in the future easier.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - It is important to remember that international cooperation and assistance for stockpile destruction is a legal obligation. Without such aid, some states simply may not be able to destroy their stocks. States that may give aid should also plan early to have a budget in place. At the same time, States Parties needing help need to clearly state their needs as early as possible.

In everyday language … if you have a problem … don’t be quiet or shy, say it and you’ll get help. If you see somebody else has a problem, help them… because cluster munitions are really barbaric weapons and it needs to be destroyed. NOW!

I would like to use this moment to thank German government for the will and effort they show in transferring this very important treaty obligation in to reality

I would also like to take a moment to reflect on BAN ADVOCATES and work they have done and they are still doing. The work is just incredible. I’m honored to work with you

Thank you

Mina Zunac

Branislav's speech, International Peace Award in Tipperary, 1st May 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:47:00 +0200

An eclectic and cheerful crowd of 140 guests witnessed Branislav Kapetanovic accept the International Peace Award in Tipperary. The Irish Foreign Minister, Micheal Martin, high level military officials, diplomats from 12 countries, local dignitaries, competitors for the Song of Peace contest and a large CMC delegation were all invited to a luncheon to applaud Branislav as he delivered a moving speech after accepting this prestigious award on behalf of the CMC.

" Minister Martin, Lieutenant General Earley, Ladies and Gentleman, Dear Fellow Activists,

I am very happy to see so many of you again, but first of all I would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the Tipperary Peace Convention on my behalf and on behalf of The Cluster Munition Coalition for this great honor which comes, I feel, at just the right time for all of us. So I thank from the bottom of my heart the organizers of this award, especially Martin Quinn and all the others who took part in deciding to grant us such an honor, which so many special people have received in the past. I believe that this high tribute is the result of the truly great achievement of the hundreds of people involved in the Cluster Munition Coalition. We have put enormous effort and work into the project to achieve this. Our past , present and future goal is to save thousands of potential victims by banning cluster munitions, and you are all witnesses that we have made the most important step on the journey to achieving this goal.

From the very beginning of this process which started with the conference on cluster munitions in Oslo in February 2007 with 49 countries participating, I saw three groups emerge: one group pushed for the complete and universal ban of all cluster munitions, the other was against it, but unwilling to take pro-active steps, while the last was somewhere in between. The uncertainty borne of this situation, lasted up until the cluster munitions conference in Dublin, where the Treaty on cluster munitions was finally drawn up.

I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the fact that the Republic of Ireland was strongly and bravely supporting the ban on cluster munitions from the very beginning and persisted till the most important conference was held here in Ireland. Ireland played a very significant role during the conference and through its active participation contributed to the making of key paragraphs of the treaty itself. After the first week of the two week Dublin diplomatic Conference, our goal was still out of reach, we did not give up and worked very hard, more than 15 hours a day, and I have to say that if it wasn’t for your Irish charm, relaxed manner and easy laughter, hardly anyone of us would have persisted in working under such enormous pressure and uncertainty till the end. At the beginning of the second week there was a great progress, and in the end our combined efforts resulted in achieving our goal.

Even though every delegation was forced to compromise in some regards, we succeeded in persuading major military powers to change their position even though they had strongly opposed this treaty in the past. In the end, they conceded certain critical points on which they previously refused to budge. This resulted in a solution which isn’t ideal for all the signatory countries, but is admittedly the best solution. Even though we have achieved so much with this treaty, we must not lose sight of our goal which is to ban any future use of cluster munitions, and prevent thousands of civilians from suffering during future conflicts and help those already affected.

Today we are still witness to thousands of civilians injured by cluster munition remnants, which has tragic consequences for the individuals themselves, their families and also their communities. There are also economic burdens involved for victims’ countries, since the cost of medical treatment and rehabilitation is very high, as well as problems caused by contamination of large areas, hampering agriculture, rebuilding of infrastructure and delaying development in general.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to the countries that used to be major opponents of total ban, such as United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and others. I thank them now because in the end, they changed their position. They made this difficult decision and agreed to put their signature to the treaty. If my memory serves me well, Jody Williams once so beautifully stressed that Governments should not protect their stockpiles, but the lives of people. In that sense I salute these governments who eventually moved to revise their position on the matter and decided to stand on the path of common sense.

We are aware of the problems these countries face because of the huge amount of cluster munitions stockpiled all over the world. It was very brave of these countries to agree to destroy the stockpiles in the limited timeframe, provided for in the treaty. I know very well how long and difficult this job is, and that, it requires a lot of effort and dedication ensure it is done safely and properly.

I am convinced that all, the efforts made by the Cluster Munition Coalition during the talks with the signatory countries will yield concrete results. I also believe that, the signatory countries will fulfill their firm promises on time. I have every confidence in the integrity of, all the participants, nor do I believe that there will be any delays.

I would also like to use this opportunity to express my deepest regret that my native country, Serbia, is not among the signatory countries, even though Serbia actively participated in the process. It also organized a Conference for States Affected by Cluster Munitions in Belgrade in October 2007. At the final conference in Oslo, the moment of truth came and to my great disappointment, Serbia did not sign, which caused me great sadness and disappointment. At the time I asked myself: “Haven't cluster munitions caused enough suffering in my country? How many more dead, and injured, must there be, to make someone sign the treaty? How can it be possible that, my country is not part of that wonderful, and solemn moment in Oslo, when 94 countries signed the treaty.” I felt such incredulity, pain and melancholy. I just couldn’t understand the decision. I think the same is true for all of us living in affected countries that have not signed the treaty: like Cambodia, Tajikistan, Vietnam and some others. Still, I remain hopeful and believe some things have begun moving in the right direction lately. I want to believe in our officials’ promises, who, even before, said that, the signing would be delayed due, to some higher priorities, in the country at that time. I believe that, in the near future my country, will join the ranks, of the signatory countries, and in that way, will uphold the honor, of all of those, who fought for the treaty, and more importantly, all those who have suffered the effects, of these terrible weapons. I assure you that in the future I’ll do my best to make my country sign the treaty. Minister Martin, next time you see my Foreign Minister please ask him for me to sign the treaty!

Some of us might have thought that, after the signing in Oslo, everything would go smoothly, and that, we reach the end much sooner. However, we are all learning that this is a job that takes patience. For this reason, the award is going to be of great help to us, in the future, it will raise our morale and strengthen our resolve, to push forward stronger and harder than before, to bring this process to its completion.

This award will mean a lot for our future work. Future goals include not only the signing, and ratifying in the United Nations, of a hundred countries, but to aim for more than 150. Even then, we will not stop until every country in the world signs the treaty and ratifies it at the United Nations.

I want to say for the record that, the present economic crisis which so suddenly hit, the world should never be used, as an excuse, for not fulfilling the obligations of the convention and to not following every paragraph of the treaty. Legal obligations are legal obligations.

In conclusion, I would like to express once again my great gratitude for this beautiful gift which means so much to us all. For me personally, this is one of the most valuable gifts I have ever been blessed with. It shows me that, we are on the road to a better future, and that, we must keep the momentum and fight stronger and harder till, the very end. The award does not mean that we have gained victory, but that we must focus our efforts now more than ever. We have taken the first of many steps towards achieving success!

Thank you"

Branislav Kapetanovic

Mina's statement, Geneva, 18 February 2009

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:26:00 +0100

Mina Zunac, CCW Conference, side event on victim assistance, Geneva, 18 February 2009

Hi, my name is Mina Zunac, I'm from Croatia and I'm a Ban Advocate. I am a cluster munitions survivor. It happened on May 1995 during bombing of Zagreb. It was a nice sunny day, 11 in the morning, centre of the town, working hours, I was double parked … I come out of the bank, loud sound (at that time I didn’t know that that’s how explosion sound like … IRONIC) My mother was with me, she was fine, my car not so fine … and I spent a year in hospital recovering.

I was 20 at the time, whole world was in front of me, and I was there to concur it. But we are not here to talk about me, we are here to talk about you, and what are you going to do about this. I am a typical representative of MTV generation. I don’t take NO for an answer. I was raised to believe in government and democracy, IN YOU.

I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHAT TO DO

- it’s all in Article 5 / VA of CCM that you signed (or will sign)

I WILL TELL YOU WHY

- VA is the last step in ending the war, and first step in long time peace keeping

SO HOW IT WORKS

-you think that war is over just because they lay down the guns (arms), and you don’t hear the shooting in the streets and fields - but it’s not, the war doesn’t start and end in the streets

IT STARTS AND ENDS IN PEOPLE’S HEADS.

By providing VA you are not helping only the victims, you are helping the future generations, and you are building world peace. This is how;

- I will give you two scenarios, one with VA and another without VA

1) help the victims, make them participate in society again, give them work/jobs, give them they dignity back, make them whole again

2) if not … what happens is those people are closed at home, they are unhappy, bitter, disappointed, angry and they carry their grudge* to the next generation, and next and so on …

And after a few generations you will have the same old war all over again. It’s a viscious circle, and it should be broken.

IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE AWAY THE WEAPONS, YOU NEED TO TAKE AWAY THE REASONS TO FIGHT.

Signing, ratification, implementation. Most of you have already signed, the other will follow. World peace, that’s the goal, there are no shortcuts and it’s a group effort. You can do it. You have the power to make the change.

Thank you.

* grudge / a fit of bad temper

You can also find in his Blog the statement "Assisting the victims is investment not a cost" made by Firoz Alizada (ICBL):

www.firozalializada.blogspot.com

Ban Advocates' statements, Convention on Cluster Munitions signing conference, Oslo, 4 December 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:30:00 +0100

Berihu Mesele, Ethiopia

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, fellow campaigners and survivors,

My name is Berihu, this is Dusica and this is Soraj.

We speak in the name of our colleagues and friends, the Ban Advocates, a group of people who have been affected by cluster munitions. I am sure this group that you can see behind me has become familiar to everyone who has been participating in the Oslo process.

We come from Albania, Afghanistan, Croatia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Lebanon, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Serbia, Tajikistan and the United States of America.

It is an honor for us to be here before you today. We are proud of this treaty and particularly of the victim assistance provisions. You all have made a difficult decision, but it is the right decision.

On behalf of all survivors, we stand here to thank you, to thank each and all of you, who have made this treaty a reality.

Dusica Vuckovic, Serbia

When we started the Oslo process we had received nothing except pain and suffering, but we hoped that one day we would have a Convention with strong victim assistance provisions.

In fact, these provisions are invaluable to me as a wife of a cluster munition survivor and to my children. I am sure these provisions will be invaluable to thousands of other families since after ratification and full implementation they will bring the safety and dignity which is necessary in our daily lives.

At the beginning of the Ban Advocates project I was the only woman, an indirect victim of cluster munitions, actively participating at conferences. During every conference I would share again and again the most difficult moments of my life.

Besides my husband who was injured, I met many survivors and members of their families and we shared our suffering: we had to cope with the consequences of our tragedies all alone, without any assistance. It is difficult to express how tough this was for us all. While our family members were in hospitals we were fighting and managing to live as we could.

Today the situation has changed. We can say that today is an historical day because the provisions on victim assistance will make our lives easier in all aspects.

Soraj Ghulam Habib, Afghanistan

We believe Article 5 will make a real change in our lives. The question is no longer how assistance will be provided, but how quickly this assistance will be put in place. Please take urgent action now! Our Convention should not remain a piece of paper.

Today I am 17 years old. I do not want to wait years until I am an old man to receive assistance in my community or to be able to get a job. People who are injured by cluster bombs should be able to receive emergency assistance and not be left to die in a hospital like I was until my father saved me.

To do this we need countries to develop victim assistance national plans and budgets, including timeframes; to designate a VA focal point; to start collecting data and take steps to mobilize resources. We ask you to keep your promise. We, the Ban Advocates, are ready to work with you from tomorrow.

Thank you for signing the Convention to prevent the loss of more innocent lives and to give us our rights.

Branislav's statement, Convention on Cluster Munitions signing ceremony, opening ceremony, Oslo, 3 December 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:00:00 +0100

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleague Activists,

I’m pleased to see so many states here to sign the Treaty.

The active work by cluster bomb survivors in the Oslo Process has helped states reach the right decision. The affected states also made a great creative contribution to this.

The experience of the survivors points out the suffering of the injured, our families, societies and the state affected. Our presence and sometimes our sheer appearance, the sight of a human being whose body parts were taken away by this weapon, has made an impact. I owe enormous gratitude to all of you, who have made a difficult, but I’m sure, the right decision for humanity.

I hope the unity and determination showed here in Oslo today will mark the future of international cooperation, especially for victim assistance and clearance.

I appeal to the states not signing today, especially those who were active in the process, to join in and sign the Treaty. Your decision to sign can save thousands of innocent lives and protect the future of our children.

For us here, this is not the end of our road: we still have to make sure the Treaty is implemented, monitored and that funding is given to those in need. The Oslo process has meant a lot to me. The fact of being able to fight against something that has brought a lot of suffering into my life and left me without arms and legs, with severe injuries, that brought immense posttraumatic consequences, deprived me of normal life, made me dependent on others, even for the simple tasks of hygiene or nourishment, deprived me of finding a life-time partner or even making love, left me without hope…left me in the dark.

The Oslo process gave me a new life, gave me strength to live on. Now my life has a new meaning and I have a future. Now I feel there is light.

I’m extremely glad to have come here to Oslo for the second time in less than two years to witness the Treaty signing.

It is a mere coincidence that tomorrow is my birthday and I think that I'm the happiest person in the world.

I will get the best present ever – the official signing of the Treaty!

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleague Activists: thank you for such a beautiful present!

Lynn's statement, Geneva, 7 November 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:53:00 +0100

Lynn Bradach, CCW Conference, Geneva, 7 November 2008

I am Lynn Bradach. On Monday I gave my statement about the loss of my son Cpl Travis Bradach-Nall to a US submunition in July 2003 when he volunteered to stay and clear unexploded ordinance in Iraq.

I want to believe that the purpose of these negotiations is to prevent the injury and death of innocent victims and that the standards that are agreed to will lead to this.

I believe that the Convention on Cluster Munitons contains these standards and it is for that reason I encourage all states to sign the CCM in Oslo on December 3.

Lynn's statement, Geneva, 3 November 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:03:00 +0100

Lynn Bradach, CCW Conference, Geneva, 3 November 2008

My name is Lynn Bradach and it is an honor to be before you today. The journey that has brought me here has been a strange one and it has been one that I have been forced to take. It was just eight years ago that I was a working mother in the US. I had no concept of war, of it weapons and what the true impact of war could have on a family. Many of us in the US are that way.

In 2000 my oldest son Travis joined the US Marines. Once again I did not understand why but it was his choice. The world in my view was safe and beautiful and I agreed that he was in need of some discipline in his life. In 2001 the world began to explode on me. For the first time I felt the worries of war but they were still very distant. After awhile the truth emerged about the attack on the towers and I believed with all my heart that US would not go to war

The year 2003 brought about the destruction to my perfect world and my first steps on this journey. My son Cpl John Bradach-Nall was sent to war. I now had full knowledge of what a parent feels for their child in a situation that you can not control, you can not fully understand and you do not know how to keep your child safe. My son was a trained Marine not an innocent little child caught in the cross fire and still like any mother I was heart sick with fear.

The war was declared over and I believe that Travis would be coming home. I didn’t even give a second thought to what had been left behind. Now looking back how very thoughtless and selfish of me. That safe return was not to be. My brave son called to say that he had volunteer to stay on with a group of his buddies to clear bombs and other unexploded ordinances. He said “Momma you are safe. Nothing can happen to you. I need to be here to take care of my buddies. I need to make sure they all come home.” On July 2, 2003 I was informed that Travis was killed by an explosive device and with his death that Lynn Bradach of the perfect innocent world also died.

I later learned that this device that took my son’s life was a US cluster submunition, that probably would not be banned by the chair’s text . Thousand of these barbaric, inhumane little bomblets had been fired off at the beginning of the invasion and now, because of the large dud rate laid scattered about waiting for unsuspecting victims. I have learned so much about this weapon. The fact is that this weapon is an antiquated weapon of war. It was wrong to use it from the very beginning. The purpose of the weapon was to drop bombs or fire off large numbers of shells at advancing troops and artillery to stop or hinder their progress. This type of war ceased to be waged long ago.

Travis’ buddies have told me that they were trained that when they encountered a Cluster bomb they were not to touch it. It was to be destroyed in place. The weapon was considered to be so sensitive and so deadly that even well trained marines were not to deal with it. However I was informed that protocol was not followed, that someone had gotten lax and had started to move them to destroy them in mounds. This carelessness cost the young man who moved the weapon his eye, hand and leg but it also cost him the life of a fellow Marine, my son. This cost is surely the heaviest burden he has to live with.

If even the best trained military personnel can accidentally fall victim to this weapon how on earth do we think we can expect civilians to return to a land littered with them and not fall prey to them.

The dream of every parent is that the world they leave to their child is a better one than the one they themselves came into. We pray that each generation learns from the mistakes of the last. In my case it is my son who has left me because of the mistakes of an earlier generation. He has left me to try to make it a better world. It is now up to me to ask my country the United States of America to stand up and be the nation he believed he was fighting for. To do all they can to safe guard innocent lives by banning the manufacture, the stockpiling and the use of Cluster munitions. If my country as strong and good as I believe it is, is not yet ready to take the lead than I pray that those of you before me will set a strong example by signing the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo on December 3 of this year and encourage us to follow you.

It is time to stop being afraid to stand up and do what is right. How can we live with ourselves if we don’t take action when we know something is so very wrong. We can not give a child back their arms, their legs or their lives. We can not give a parent back their child but we can prevent any more of this tragedy from happening and care for those who have been impacted.

I thank you for your time and your commitment to making this a better world by signing the Convention on Cluster Munitions Dec 3 in Oslo.

Ta’s statements, opening and closing ceremonies, regional conference in Lao PDR, 20-22 October 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:31:00 +0100

Ta’s statement, opening ceremony, regional conference in Lao PDR, 20 October 2008,

Sabaidee, my name is Ta and I am from Ban Phone Sa On (Phone Sa On village), Nakai district, Khammuan province. I went to look for food in the forest near my village, I found an object laying on the ground, I did not know what it was, I wanted to check it out to know what it was, I decided to use a 3 meter long stick to touch it, with one touch it caused an exploration, I got injured, I was conscious , so I told my sons to go back to the village and ask for help. My parents and my wife came to help me, they carried me onto a boat and took me to half way and then they changed to a small farming tractor (Tok Tok) to Nakai district hospital, arriving there they could not do much to save me, they transferred me to the provincial hospital, my family had to rent a pick up to take me there, arriving there I had to wait for few days for an operation of my arms, because doctors were on the public holidays for Lao New Year, when they resumed they imputed my arms, I stayed at the provincial hospital for a month and half I had to go back home because I ran out of money to continue my medical treatment until I got fully recovered. I stayed another two weeks at Nakai district hospital, I sold all pigs, cows, and buffalos, I borrowed my relative’s money 1,500,000.00Kip and plus the saving for my family of 500,000.00Kip. and we ran out of money again and we had to go home, I lost my right eye at the accident spot and my left eye blind after that. Then in 2006 when I and my family moved to live in Ban Phone Sa On as where I am now, we earned some money and also borrowed some from our relatives, I went to Savannakhet provincial hospital for treatment in my left eye, I stayed there for 7 days and I spent like 2,000,000.00Kip at that time. At the same time there was a clearance organization came into my village and took me to get my artificial arms, my two older children had to drop out from school. I wish to get more help from you. Thank you.

Ta’s statement, closing ceremony, regional conference in Lao PDR, 22 October 2008,

Sabadee, My name is Ta. I am very happy to be at this conference where we are talking about stopping the use of "bomblets", clearing them away and destroying them. I hope we will get rid of all 'bomblets' in order to prevent future incidents. I am happy to know that my government will join the Convention. Thank you very much.

Berihu's statement, Kampala, 29 September 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:00:00 +0200

Berihu Messele, Opening Ceremony, Kampala Conference on Cluster Munitions, Kampala, 29 September 2008

Dear Delegates, Respected guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am so happy and proud to be here to participate in this regional conference and to have the opportunity to share with you my story during this opening ceremony.

I am here to speak on behalf of an affected community from Ethiopia and also of many other victims of cluster munitions in the world.

I am Berihu Messele and this is Aynalem Zenebe. We both came from Mekelle, the northern part of Ethiopia, where we were injured by cluster bombs during a strike on the Ayder school in 1998.

On the 5th of June, it was around three o’clock in the afternoon when I heard the bombing of the school and with many other persons, I ran to the school to see what happened and I found many children dead or wounded. I tried to help and after thirty minutes, an aircraft came back to bomb the school again. Nobody had expected this. At this time, I have been injured and lost consciousness. I was taken to the hospital and after two days I realized that I lost my two legs. This same dark day, Aynalem was at home near the school and lost one leg. She was only seven years old.

On that day, a total of 53 people were killed. 185 were wounded, half of them were children.

Not only in Ethiopia, but also in around thirty other countries, civilians have been killed or maimed by cluster munitions. Civilians have been killed and injured during attacks, like I was, but also longer after attacks because of the unexploded submunitions that are so often left behind.

Before my accident, I had a peaceful life. After I lost my two legs, I had no good future for me in mind. I can imagine that in every place where cluster bombs are used, victims face the same problems as I have.

What would be the solution?

I have had the opportunity to be involved as a Ban Advocate and participated in the Dublin Diplomatic Conference in May. There, we succeeded to have a strong Convention that has been adopted by 107 States. I am calling all States to sign this Convention in Oslo in December, and to ratify and implement it as soon as possible.

As a Ban Advocate and an African, I am here to encourage you to declare officially that you will sign the Treaty. I call upon all of you to engage in the ratification process. As a survivor and a Ban Advocate, I believe that this Treaty can be the solution if this will not remain just a piece of paper, but will be concretely implemented, in order to improve our lives. I am happy that in the Treaty it is requested that the cluster munition survivors must be involved in the implementation of the victim assistance provisions.

Before the accident, I had a lot of dreams. After the accident, I lost my dreams. Now, I have another dream: not to see other people facing the same problems I have to face in my daily life, because of cluster bombs.

Please come to Oslo, in December, to sign this Treaty.

Branislav's statement, Dublin, 19 May 2008

Stephanie Castanie — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:12:00 +0200

Branislav Kapetanovic, Opening Ceremony, Dublin's Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions, Dublin, 19 May 2008

Dear Minister, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear fellow Campaigners,

First of all, allow me to express how satisfied, I am to see so many States represented here in Ireland. The sheer number of you gathered here today proves that our common fight against this horrific weapon, whose victims are overwhelmingly civilians and very often children, has gained great significance and momentum.

Looking back, we should all be very proud of what we achieved. I remember well the somewhat difficult takeoff of this process of prohibiting cluster munitions in Oslo, but at the end of the week 46 countries committed themselves to the Oslo Declaration. The process grew stronger and stronger, and with every meeting from Lima to Vienna to Wellington, more countries joined. Today 109 countries are here to negotiate this treaty and I am confident that all States and all individuals in this conference room are here with a common goal: to solve the humanitarian problems that cluster munitions cause, to negotiate in earnest, and to have a successful result.

I have followed every meeting of this process. And at every meeting I could not only sense the growing support of the States, but also that of the public. I was approached by all kinds of people, expressing support for our cause to ban cluster munitions, from parliamentarians, journalists, politicians, and families. This overwhelming support was also demonstrated this morning when more than 704.000 signatures were handed to the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, asking for a comprehensive ban on cluster munitions. I hope we will not disappoint them.

I say this even though the meetings in the Oslo Process were sometimes also very difficult for me, to listen to. As a survivor it offended me to hear some countries advocate broad exceptions for some types of cluster munitions, for instance because of claims that they have a “newer” and “better” self-destruct mechanism. Cluster munitions have been used for more than half a century and over and over again they have failed to meet the standards promised by the producers and users. I have lost my hands and my legs, and I have damaged hearing and eyesight due to a type of cluster munition that, when developed, was claimed to be newer and better. It was then shown in the First Gulf War to have an excessive failure rate. Yet it was still used several years later in Yugoslavia -- because the countries had it in stock. This is why the destruction of all cluster munitions is such an important element of the proposed treaty.

It has also been difficult for me throughout this journey to listen to some people that have claimed that cluster munitions are indispensable weapons to save the lives of their soldiers. There is no evidence for this statement. However, many soldiers have been injured in international operations because of duds from cluster munitions fired in the past by their own forces. That is a fact.

Speaking both as a deminer and as a former officer in the Yugoslavian army, I want to stress that I do not see any reason or purpose for the use of cluster munitions. We all know that cluster munitions during an attack cover a wide area, and thus even if intended for military targets only, can also hit civilian areas, as they cannot discriminate between civilian and military targets. And once one sees - as I have - a community affected by hundreds or thousands of unexploded cluster submunitions, their livelihoods destroyed, then there are no reasons that can justify their use in the first place.

These contaminated areas would then need to be cleared, which is a slow and expensive task. The reality in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia shows us that it takes decades to remove the contamination after the conflict, costing millions and millions of dollars. So why use them in the first place?

For the Cluster Munition Coalition, the objective in Dublin is clear: we want to achieve a comprehensive treaty prohibiting use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. It must prohibit ALL cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. And we want this prohibition to come into effect immediately. A transition period that would allow States to use cluster munitions for some time after they have been prohibited is unacceptable to us. Likewise, a treaty that allowed States to intentionally assist others with the use of cluster munitions would be a sham.

Moreover, we want the treaty to contain a strong obligation for victim assistance, an obligation that will make a difference on the ground, and will help affected individuals and communities.

To conclude, I would like, to say, that we have come, a really long way, in this year of the Oslo Process. The treaty has not been watered down in the process, but has in some areas, like victim assistance and clearance, grown stronger and better. The CMC is in general very satisfied, with the main treaty proposal as it lies in front of you. Personally and as the representative of the CMC, I want to appeal to States, as well as to the President of this conference, to maintain and even strengthen the text during these two weeks of negotiations. It will be tough and exhausting, but I hope you will keep the treaty strong and never lose sight of why this treaty is needed: to prevent any more casualties like me.

Thank you.

Suliman's Statement, Wellington, February 2008

Patrizia Pompili — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:52:00 +0100

Suliman Safdar, Statement on Transparency, Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions, Wellington, 21 February 2008

Thank you, Mr. Co-Chair, for giving me this opportunity to speak. My name is Suliman Safdar, I come from Afghanistan, and I am involved in the Ban Advocates initiative. I am a witness to the consequences of indiscriminate weapons being used against my community, and therefore I am here today to make sure this Treaty will make a real difference for affected communities. Like many other individuals sitting in this room today, it is my wish that this Treaty will generate real progress, as a matter of urgency, and that this progress will be accurately reported on by states. Mr. Co-Chair, I completely agree with the need for objectively monitoring the future Treaty, and therefore I welcome the formulation of Article 7 of the Wellington draft text.

Civil society, working independently, has been the watchdog of the Mine Ban Treaty. This should not remain a one-time experiment. In addition, I believe cluster munitions victims, affected individuals, families, communities and NGOs should play a central role in the monitoring and implementation of the Cluster Munitions Treaty. This is why it is critical that the reports are made available to the public. We will be looking closely at the information reported to make sure that states are living up to all elements of the Cluster Munitions Treaty. We are able to provide the best reality check on what is being reported by states, making sure the report matches the reality for survivors and their communities. I am confident that we are all working towards the same goal, that of stopping the unacceptable harm caused by cluster munitions and protecting civilians. Therefore I invite you to look at us, the affected individuals, families, communities, and NGOs, as partners. We are looking forward to working with you in the future.

Thank you

Umarbek's Statement, Wellington, February 2008

Patrizia Pompili — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:24:00 +0100

Umarbek Pulodov, Statement on International Cooperation and Assistance, Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions, Wellington, 21 February 2008

Thank you, Co-Chair, for giving me this opportunity to speak. I am Umarbek Pulodov from Tajikistan, a cluster munitions-affected country. You may remember my story - if not, you can find it on our blog: www.banadvocates.org

As a Ban Advocate and as representative of cluster munitions survivors, I believe international cooperation and assistance is an important pillar of the future treaty. If I am not wrong, I think we all agreed in Vienna that each State Party has the right to seek and receive assistance under the new treaty. What does this mean in practice?

In my country - and I am sure this is the case for many other affected states with limited resources - we are still dealing with the consequences of cluster munitions many years after their use. Despite the fact that we have a victim assistance plan based on a survey identifying the needs of survivors, and despite the fact that we have local organizations ready to provide services, we are not able to secure victim assistance funding.

Like many other states we have asked for assistance, yet we didn't get it.

How can we make sure the future treaty will ensure adequate provisions on assistance?

I think the only answer is to have stronger and clearer provisions included in Article 6. I will suggest some concrete concepts I believe could contribute to the successful implementation of the future Treaty.

First, affected states with limited resources will need the international community's support to implement this treaty. They will need different degrees of financial, technical, and material assistance to clear their lands, destroy their stockpiles, and provide risk education and assistance to victims. Governments in need of assistance should be able to request support, provided that they present clear plans and objectives as well as a detailed needs evaluation and a timeline for implementation. Concretely, I am thinking of a set format for funding requests.

Second, victim assistance should be a fundamental component of Article 6.

Third, as many states suggested in Vienna, provision of assistance should be linked to, and incorporated into, long-term national development plans and building affected states' national capacities for implementation.

Fourth, reporting on all cooperation and assistance, and particularly victim assistance funding from donors and recipients, should be included.

Fifth, Article 6 should refer to the possibility to exchange information on victim assistance. Such assistance may be provided, inter alia, through the United Nations system, international, regional or national organizations, and non-governmental organizations.

Sixth, and this is a point of particular importance to us, a disability perspective should be included in Article 6.

Last but not least, clear reference should be made to the special responsibility of user states to provide financial, technical and material assistance to survivors, their families and communities.

To conclude, congratulations for your hard work! I ask you to be guided by the principle of solidarity and make sure that the strongest possible treaty language on international cooperation and assistance is included in the future Treaty.

Thank you for your attention.