Cluster Munitions

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (Oslo Convention) entered into force in 2010. In the meantime, 111 states have ratified the Oslo Convention and 12 other states have signed it. The Convention includes a categorical ban on the use, development, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions, which cause immense suffering among the civilian population. As initiated by Austria, the Treaty is the first international disarmament treaty to include a legal obligation on victim assistance. In order to achieve sustainable progress towards universalisation and implementation of the Convention, the States Parties adopted the Lausanne Action Plan for the period 2021-2026 in September 2021. General compliance with and implementation of the Oslo Convention is reviewed in the course of an annual Meeting of States Parties. Austria is regularly involved in the Coordination Committee of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, actively promoting the Convention’s universalisation and implementation. Moreover, Austria also provides financial support to States Parties implementing their obligations.