The Green Party has welcomed the clear statement outlawing cluster bombs, issued today at the conclusion of the Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions.
“We are delighted the Conference resisted pressures from some European Governments, Canada and Australia for a whole lot of exceptions to the ban,” Disarmament Spokesperson Keith Locke said.
“We must rid the world of the scourge of these bombs, which indiscriminately kill so many civilians.
“The Green Party is very pleased there was agreement at the conference about clearing areas contaminated with cluster bombs, destroying stockpiles and helping cluster bomb victims.
“We congratulate the Government for hosting the conference, and holding firm for a general ban on these horrendous weapons.
“We are pleased the Guardians of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund are reviewing their investments in arms manufacturing companies, and say they will take into consideration the decisions of this Conference. It now seems likely that the Fund will disinvest from cluster bomb manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The Greens will continue to press for this to happen.
“We will also work with the Government to resolve the ‘inter-operability’ question discussed at this week’s Conference, as it applies to New Zealand. We don’t want our soldiers Afghanistan defended by the cluster bombs possessed by coalition forces.
“The Green Party congratulates the Cluster Munitions Coalition, a global network of 200 non-Government organisations, which lobbied so effectively to achieve the successful Conference outcome. This campaign has been a model of how civil society can work with Governments to achieve significant global change.”