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