29 May 2008
Churches praise new Government stance on cluster munitions
At talks in Dublin over the last two weeks, governments have
drafted the text for a treaty to ban the use of cluster bombs. This
week the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has committed the UK to
withdrawing the remaining two cluster munitions from its
arsenal.
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the
United Reformed Church have for some time campaigned for a full ban
on cluster munitions. Today they issued a joint statement welcoming
the outcome of the Dublin summit.
Graham Sparkes, Head of Faith & Unity, the Baptist Union of
Great Britain says; "the churches have been calling for such a
treaty for a long time. Cluster bombs kill indiscriminately and
continue to do so long after fighting has stopped, harming those
who are already living in a vulnerable situation following the
conflict."
In the two months after the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah
on average three civilians were killed every day by unexploded
cluster bombs. One third of these deaths were children.
Simon Loveitt, the United Reformed Church's Spokesperson on Public
Issues, says; "The agreement in Dublin offers hope for a future
without such weapons and the chance to offer improved protection
for civilians during and after conflict. In the past, the UK has
been a significant user of cluster munitions. The UK Government's
support for a complete ban is therefore particularly
important."
However, Steve Hucklesby, Methodist Secretary for International
Affairs, warns that there is still much to be done; "The work is
not yet finished. The strength of this treaty will largely depend
on encouraging more governments to support it and take the
important steps to phase out the stockpiling and use of these
weapons."
Information about the Churches' campaign on cluster bombs can be
found at www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/clustermunitions