29-May-2008
Portfolio Media Releases, Foreign Affairs, Law and Order
The Federal Opposition endorses the outcomes of the Dublin Diplomatic Convention on Cluster Munitions that have seen cluster bombs that cause indiscriminate harm to civilians banned.
“The Coalition has long advocated a ban on those cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, while preserving the Australian Defence Force's requirements for force protection and interoperability,” the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Andrew Robb AO MP, said today.
“While the convention from the conference is only a draft, it appears that all of the concerns that the Opposition had with the original proposals have been addressed.”
“Prior to the conference the Opposition indicated that we would be supportive of a position that protected civilians from indiscriminate harm, however, the Opposition believed that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) needs to be able to operate with allies and within coalitions with those who may not be signatories to the convention,” said the Shadow Minister for Defence, Senator Nick Minchin.
“We also believed that ADF personnel must be able to be trained on these weapons so they can learn how to disarm them.”
“It appears that Australia and a number of other countries have successfully added a number of amendments that satisfy these concerns. I congratulate the Australia delegation, including the Ambassador for Disarmament Caroline Millar, on this outcome,” said Mr Robb.
“The former Coalition Government took a leading role on cluster munitions in both the Certain Conventional Weapons Convention forum and the Oslo process negotiations.
“In particular, in 2007 the Australian Government consented to be bound by Protocol V to the Conventional Weapons Convention which obliges a nation to mark and clear, remove or destroy, explosive remnants of war present in its territory; record, retain and transmit information regarding use of explosive ordinances; and take precautions for the protection of civilians and humanitarian missions,” Mr Robb said.
“The Coalition Government also provided funding to support the clearance of the explosive remnants of war in a number of countries, including Lebanon, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan,” Senator Minchin said.
Media contact: Stuart Eaton, 0433 298 620