ICRC welcomes South Sudan's ratification of convention on cluster munitions

(ICRC)

JUBA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Thursday welcomed the ratification of the Convention on Cluster Munitions by South Sudan's Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) to protect vulnerable persons from the harmful effects of deadly weapons.

ICRC said in a statement that the ratification of this treaty, together with two other significant treaties, the Arms Trade Treaty and the Kampala Convention, has been one of ICRC's priorities in South Sudan.

"For the past few years, the ICRC has engaged with the authorities at the legislative and executive levels to work toward the ratification of this essential legal instrument," the charity said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

"This is a significant step toward ensuring that vulnerable people are protected from the harmful effects of these deadly weapons. By ratifying the Convention on Cluster Munitions, South Sudan has joined the growing number of nations taking action to protect civilians and prevent human suffering," said Pierre Dorbes, the head of the ICRC delegation in South Sudan.

The charity said it stands ready to provide further technical support in translating the convention into national jurisprudence.

Dorbes added that they recognize the ratification of the convention as an achievement and testament to the strong commitment, and solemnity of the Republic of South Sudan in fulfilling its obligations under international law.

"Following the ratification, South Sudan has further steps toward the implementation phase through the process of including the provisions, standards, and practices into the domestic law," he said.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is an international treaty that prohibits all use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs, a type of explosive weapon which scatters submunition over an area. The convention also establishes a framework to support victim assistance, clearance of contaminated sites, risk reduction education, and stockpile destruction.