Cluster Munitions: An Agreement on Its Way Out?

The 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, intended to ban submunitions like the Ottawa Treaty banned landmines, is increasingly seen as ineffective. Lithuania has withdrawn from the agreement, and major users such as the United States, Russia, and Ukraine never signed it and continue to employ cluster munitions in conflicts. The article explains that cluster munitions, first widely used in WWII, are designed to disperse smaller weapons over a wide area. Their main drawback is a high failure rate, leaving unexploded ordnance that effectively turns battlefields into minefields, killing and maiming civilians, including children, for decades. This has led to severe impacts on livestock and agriculture, fueling public stigma. The analysis questions the convention's relevance as key military powers remain outside its framework.