Locating cluster munitions or cluster bombs

“Submunition” – also known as cluster munitions or cluster bombs – consists of bombs, grenades or warheads that do not explode as a whole. These explosive devices, which are often scattered far and wide, remain hidden for years and pose a significant risk to the civilian population in many countries. The scale of this threat is clear: since the end of the Second World War, cluster bombs have been used by 21 states in 40 different countries.

The Oslo Convention, which came into force on 1 August 2010, marks an important step in the fight against these insidious weapons. Ninety-nine states and the Palestinian territories have now committed to complying with the convention, which prohibits the use, development, production, trade and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The contracting states are also obliged to clear cluster munition remnants from their national territory within ten years.