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Public Statements Call for a Moratorium on the Use of Cluster Bombs December 20, 2001
The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien,
Dear Prime Minister: On behalf of the United Nations Association in Canada, I urge you to continue to show international leadership on human security issues by supporting an immediate moratorium on the use of cluster bombs until such time as concerns over the humanitarian impact of these weapons are sufficiently addressed. Canada is in the forefront of finding solutions to the problem of antipersonnel mines and the threats they pose to civilians, communities and relief workers. As you know, failed cluster bombs have similar effects upon communities as do antipersonnel mines and other explosive remnants of war. They are victim-activated, indiscriminate, and cause excessive injury or death to innocents. They also impede the delivery of humanitarian aid, the return of refugees displaced by war, and reconstruction efforts supported by Canadian peacekeepers. UNA-Canada congratulates the European Parliament for passing a resolution on December 13 in which the European Union's parliamentarians called for an immediate moratorium on cluster bombs. We also applaud Canada's statement, delivered by Ambassador Daniel Livermore this month in Geneva, supporting a new protocol to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) – an effort which was initiated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. A call by the Canadian government for a moratorium on deployment, use, production and transfer of cluster munitions will demonstrate Canada's continued leadership on explosive remnants of war and your government's championing of human security. Sincerely yours,
Geoffrey Pearson, National President
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