Cluster munitions: New report charts changing global opinion against the weapon

 

The prohibition on cluster munitions is firmly taking hold as more countries join the new treaty banning the weapon and hold-out states shift their policies in the right direction, says a report jointly released today by Human Rights Watch, Landmine Action, and Landmine Monitor.
The 288-page report, "Banning Cluster Munitions: Government Policy and Practice", contains entries on 150 countries. It documents a major shift in global opinion about cluster munitions in recent years, with numerous former users, producers, exporters, and stockpilers of the weapon now denouncing it because of the humanitarian harm it causes. The shift resulted in the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions, requires destruction of stockpiles in eight years and clearance of affected areas in 10 years, and establishes a strong framework for assistance to victims of the weapon.
"In the span of just a few years, many nations have gone from insisting that cluster munitions are wonder weapons vital to their national defense to proclaiming that cluster munitions must never be used again," said Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch and final editor of the report.
Cluster munitions can be fired by artillery and rocket systems or dropped by aircraft. They typically explode in the air and send dozens, even hundreds, of tiny submunitions or bomblets over an area the size of a football field. These often fail to explode on impact, acting like landmines and posing a danger to civilians for years.
Among the signatories whose policies changed most dramatically are Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Others include Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and South Africa.
A total of 96 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions since December 2008, including 20 of the 28 NATO members. Thirty-five countries that have stockpiled cluster munitions have signed the treaty. "Banning Cluster Munitions" notes that many signatories have already started to destroy their stockpiles, and Spain has completed destruction, the first country to do so since the signing in December. Some of the countries most contaminated by past use of cluster munitions have signed, including Afghanistan, Laos, and Lebanon.
However, some major users of cluster munitions, notably the United States, Russia, and Israel, have not signed the treaty, nor has China, which is believed to have a large stockpile.
"The US is out of step with most of its major military allies," said Goose. "There should be a NATO-wide policy not to use cluster munitions in joint military operations. The United States should not put treaty signatories in a position where they have to fight alongside US forces that use cluster munitions."
In its own policy shift, the US agreed last year that most cluster munitions should be banned, but only starting after 2018. At the initiative of the US Congress, the United States outlawed exports of cluster munitions in March 2009.
"Even governments that have not signed the treaty are re-examining their policies on cluster munitions because they know that history will not look kindly on future users, producers, or exporters of this weapon," said Goose.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions requires 30 ratifications to trigger entry into force six months later. Seven states have ratified so far, including five that led the process to create the treaty (Austria, Holy See, Ireland, Mexico, Norway), and two countries where cluster munitions have been used (Laos and Sierra Leone).
"Banning Cluster Munitions" looks at how governments engaged in the "Oslo Process," an unconventional fast-track diplomatic initiative started by Norway in November 2006 to create a legally binding treaty to outlaw cluster munitions. The report also shows how civil society groups organized under the umbrella of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) fought for a strong treaty. Charting the evolution of cluster munition policy in 150 countries, the report highlights marked policy shifts by major powers such as France and the UK. The report also identifies difficult issues from the treaty's development and negotiation that are likely to remain contentious as the treaty goes into effect, including potential use of cluster munitions by non-signatories such as the US in joint military operations with treaty signatories.
The report was written jointly by Human Rights Watch and the UK-based Landmine Action, two nongovernmental organizations that played central roles in the creation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions and serve as CMC co-chairs. The report was produced by Landmine Monitor, the civil society-based research and monitoring wing of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).
The release of the report comes at the beginning of a CMC-sponsored Global Week of Action on Cluster Munitions, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the conclusion of the negotiations of the convention in Dublin on May 30, 2008.

The Report:

http://lm.icbl.org/index.php/publications/display?url=cm/2009/

 

Basic information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_bomb

 

 

 

Inauguration of the European Wergeland Centre

 

The Centre is a European resource centre on education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship. It is a co-operation between Norway and the Council of Europe, located in Oslo. It builds on and will promote the work performed by the Council of Europe and Norway in these areas.
The Centre is open to all member states of the Council of Europe, and the main target groups are teachers, teacher trainers, decision makers and multipliers within education for intercultural understanding, human rights and democratic citizenship.
By providing in-service training, carrying out and supporting research, creating networks, serving as a platform and disseminating information and good practices on the field, the Centre aims at becoming a leading professional body of its kind. The working language of the Centre is English.
The European Wergeland Centre is organized as an independent legal entity according to Norwegian law. The core program is financed by a yearly sum from the Government of Norway. The Centre may also receive contributions from other member states, institutions, organizations or donors who wish to cooperate with the Centre and contribute to its work.

For more information:

http://www.theewc.org/

 

 

Amnesty International’s 2009 Report

More than six decades of human rights failures by governments have been exacerbated by the world economic crisis, which brought the problems of poverty and inequality to the fore, according to Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
"It’s not just the economy, it’s a human rights crisis: the world is sitting on a social, political and economic time bomb," said Irene Kahn as she launched Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of the world’s human rights.
Billions of people are suffering from insecurity, injustice and indignity around the world. In many cases, the economic crisis made matters worse, with millions more sliding into poverty.
Increased poverty and deprivation have led to denial of economic and social rights – including food shortages and the use of food as a political weapon; forced evictions; abuse of rights of indigenous peoples. Yet human rights problems have been relegated to the backseat as political and business leaders grapple with the economic crisis.
2008 saw massive rises in the price of the most basic of necessities – food – which had the effect of making the poorest people in the world even poorer. People took to the streets across the world and, in many countries, were faced with violent repression.
In Zimbabwe, more than five million people were in need of food aid by the end of 2008, according to the UN. The government has used food as a weapon against its political opponents. Across the country, political opponents, human rights activists and trade union representatives were attacked, abducted, arrested and killed with impunity.
Hundreds of activists protesting against economic decline and social conditions were arrested and detained without charge.
Across Africa, people demonstrated against desperate social and economic situations and sharp rises in living costs. In a taste of what could lie ahead, some demonstrations turned violent; the authorities often repressed protests with excessive force.
Social tensions and economic disparities led to thousands of protests throughout China. In the Americas, social protest at economic conditions increased in Peru; in Chile there were demonstrations throughout 2008 on Indigenous People’s rights and rising living costs.
In the Middle East and North Africa, the economic and social insecurity was highlighted by strikes and protests in several countries, including Egypt. In Tunisia, strikes and protests were put down with force, causing two deaths, many injuries and more than 2,000 prosecutions of alleged organizers, some culminating in long prison sentences.
"The events we’ve seen in 2008, with the world economic crisis at the top, demand a new kind of leadership from world leaders," said Irene Khan. "They must take real action, centred on human rights, to tackle growing poverty around the world, and they must invest in human rights as purposefully as they invest in economic growth."

The Report:

http://thereport.amnesty.org/

http://www.amnesty.it/Rapporto-Annuale-2009.html

 

 

 

 

Per una Dichiarazione Universale del Bene Comune dell’Umanità

 

Sono emerse varie reazioni di fronte all'emergenza sociale e umanitaria causata sia dal disastro finanziario che colpisce  l’economia mondiale che dalle crisi ad esso completari quali quella alimentare, energetica e climatica. Alcuni propongono di sanzionare e sostituire i responsabili (i ladri di polli come li chiama l'ex direttore del FMI, Michel Camdessus), per poi continuare tutto come prima. Altri, come Gorge Soros, sottolineano la necessità di regolamentare il sistema senza però cambiarne i parametri. Infine ci sono quelli che pensano che vada rivista la logica stessa che è alla base del sistema economico moderno per trovare delle valide alternative.

L'urgenza di trovare delle soluzioni è la sfida maggiore. Rimane poco tempo per agire in maniera efficace sui cambiamenti climatici. Secondo la FAO, 100 milioni di persone sono scese sotto il livello di povertà negli ultimi due anni e si impone, quindi, il dovere di apportare dei cambiamenti significativi al ciclo energetico. Esistono una moltitudine di soluzioni alternative in tutti gli ambiti ma, per risultare veramente efficaci, necessitano di coerenza: non un nuovo dogma ma posizioni articolate.

Allo stesso modo che la Dichiarazione Universale dei Diritti dell' Uomo delle Nazioni Unite, una nuova dichiarazione universale sui beni comuni dell’umanità potrebbe essere utile allo scopo.(...)

L'articolo:

https://asud.net/per-una-dichiarazione-universale-sui-beni-comuni-dellumanita/

Sull'argomento:

https://asud.net/dichiarazione-universale-sul-bene-comune-della-terra-e-dellumanita/

Notizie biografiche:

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Houtart

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Houtart

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Houtart

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Houtart

Il sito del Forum Mondiale delle Alternative:

https://www.tni.org/es/network/foro-mundial-de-alternativas

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Annual Report

Millions of people affected by armed conflict have become more vulnerable because of the combined effects of war, natural disasters and continued high food prices. The report shows that ICRC spending hit an all-time high in 2008, rising to over 1 billion Swiss francs. Africa accounted for 47% of field expenditure, while 20% went to the Middle East. The increase in expenditure is due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in many countries, such as Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Pakistan, but it also reflects improved ICRC access to people affected by wars. "2008 clearly showed that the ICRC's neutral and independent humanitarian action does bring significant benefits for victims of armed conflicts," said Mr Kellenberger, ICRC President. "It allows the ICRC to have access to and help people in places others often can't reach. Notable examples include Iraq, the Sahel region, Somalia and Georgia."
The ICRC President deplored the fact that in 2008 untold numbers of civilians continued to suffer either because they were deliberately targeted or because conflict parties failed to distinguish sufficiently between civilians and civilian objects on the one hand, and combatants and military objectives on the other: "Much of this suffering could have been avoided if conflict parties had improved their compliance with international humanitarian law."
Looking ahead, the ICRC President said it was hard to predict the exact impact of the global economic crisis on people already made vulnerable by war. However, he expressed concern that the increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty, rising unemployment worldwide and a significant drop in remittances from migrant workers to their families in conflict areas could have a particularly severe effect on the poorest victims of armed conflicts. Mr Kellenberger said the organization had the capacity to step up its humanitarian activities if required.
Last year, the ICRC distributed over 121,000 tonnes of food, more than twice as much as in 2007, with the number of people receiving food aid rising from 2.52 million in 2007 to 2.79 million. Seventy-two per cent of these were internally displaced persons (IDPs), a six per cent increase over 2007. The ICRC’s water, sanitation and construction projects benefited more than 15 million people, while health facilities supported by the organization treated nearly 3.5 million patients. The ICRC visited almost half a million detainees in 83 countries and handled over 667,000 Red Cross messages, including 218,000 exchanged between detainees and their families.

The Report:

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/section_annual_report_2008

Basic Information:

http://www.icrc.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Cross

 

 

Nigeria, la guerra dimenticata del petrolio del Delta

Secondo l’agenzia stampa dell’Onu Irin, migliaia di civili sono in fuga dai lori villaggi nel Delta del Niger, incalzati dalle Forze armate della Nigeria che il 13 maggio hanno lanciato un’offensiva senza precedenti contro i miliziani del Movimento per l’emancipazione del Delta del Niger (Mend) e di altri gruppi ribelli. (...)

Il governo federale nigeriano ha inviato nel Delta una Forza di intervento speciale congiunta (Jtf) composta da esercito, marina ed aviazione e polizia, che ha lanciato un’offensiva senza recedenti contro le comunità delle regioni autonome di Warri-South e Warri-Southwest, accusate di sostenere i guerriglieri del Delta che avevano attaccato i soldati governativi.
Il Mend ha dichiarato “guerra aperta” alle forze armate lealiste ed ha confermato che la lotta non terminerà fino a quando le popolazioni locali non avranno una parte delle entrate petrolifere che secondo loro finiscono tutte al governo centrale di Abuja mentre il Delta sprofonda nella miseria. Intanto a pagare le conseguenze di questa strisciante guerriglia tramutatasi in Guerra petrolifera sono i civili. (...)

Gli articoli:

http://www.greenreport.it/contenuti/leggi.php?id_cont=19753

http://www.greenreport.it/contenuti/leggi.php?id_cont=19780

 

Informazioni di base:

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movimento_per_l%27emancipazione_del_Delta_del_Niger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_for_the_Emancipation_of_the_Niger_Delta

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigeria

 

* * * * * 

Comincia il processo contro la Shell

Si apre a New York il processo contro il gigante petrolifero Shell. Dovrà rispondere di complicità con il governo nigeriano nell'omicidio dello scrittore e ambientalista nigeriano Ken Saro-Wiwa. Lo scrittore è stato impiccato quattordici anni fa, insieme ad altri leader del movimento di protesta contro la distruzione ambientale e gli abusi compiuti dalla multinazionale nella regione, ricca di petrolio, del delta del Niger. La compagnia è anche accusata di complicità nella detenzione, tortura ed esilio di Owens Wiwa, fratello di Saro-Wiwa. Al tempo della condanna di Saro-Wiwa, a cui fu negata un'adeguata difesa legale, la Shell fu al centro di un'ondata di proteste e la Nigeria fu sospesa dal Commonwealth. Se avrà successo, questo caso creerà un precedente pericoloso per le multinazionali responsabili di violazioni dei diritti umani nei paesi in cui operano.

L'articolo del “Mail&Guardian”(Sudafrica):

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-26-nigerian-past-haunts-shell

 

Altre fonti:

http://www.ecnis.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1072&Itemid=83

 

Notizie biografiche:

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Saro-Wiwa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Saro-Wiwa

 

Nigeria, Shell paga per evitare il processo

La multinazionale del petrolio Shell ha deciso di pagare 15,5 milioni di dollari per evitare il processo che sarebbe dovuto cominciare la settimana prossima. Shell è accusata di complicità con il governo nigeriano nell'omicidio dello scrittore e ambientalista Ken Saro-Wiwa e di altri otto leader della protesta contro la distruzione ambientale e gli abusi compiuti dalla multinazionale nel delta del Niger, ricco di petrolio. Si tratta del più grande rimborso mai versato da una multinazionale per coprire i suoi abusi. Gli esperti di diritti umani lo considerano un primo passo per costringere le grandi corporation a prendersi le proprie responsabilità nei confronti dei paesi in cui operano.

L'articolo del “Mail&Guardian”(Sudafrica):

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-06-09-shell-pays-out-155m-over-sarowiwa-killing