First Committee of the GA adopts historical resolution on cluster munitions
In a surprising turn of events, the Disarmament and International Security Committee approved a resolution on cluster munitions by consensus, without the need to take a vote
Al-Jazeera
After two days of discussion, the First Committee of the General Assembly adopted a resolution on “Cluster munitions in modern armed conflicts”. In its 73rd session, the Committee approved ten preambulatory and twelve operative paragraphs on the responsibility of UN member states regarding the handling of cluster munitions.
With a mean of operative paragraphs significantly higher than the past resolutions on the topic, the most recent document is also historical for achieving a consensus between all UN member states. While the last three resolutions on the “Implementation of the Convention of Cluster Munitions” (CMM) had all been adopted by a recorded vote — with consistent opposition by Russia and Zimbabwe and abstention by roughly 40 other member states — the 73rd session document achieved the historical feat of having been approved by consensus, without taking a vote.
Aside from the strength of symbolizing a common agreement between all UN member states, the resolution stands out for encompassing an issue broader than the implementation of the CMM. Its text includes consternation for the risks posed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) and the proliferation of cluster munitions to non-state actors, as well as an agreement for immediate termination of the production of models not equipped with self-destruction or self-deactivating mechanisms and a call upon the responsibility of countries that have deployed cluster bombs to dispose of the resulting UXO safely, among other important measures to control the harm posed by these weapons.
Tomorrow, the First Committee moves towards the discussion of the next topic of its agenda, entitled “Cyberwarfare as a threat to international security”. It is still unclear whether this goal of compromise and mutual understanding will be present in the next stage of the Committee’s discussions.
