Parliament bans the cluster bomb
Thurs 16/02/06 - Belgium's federal parliament has voted to ban the production, storage, possession and trade in cluster bombs. Belgium is the first country in the world to declare these weapons illegal.
Cluster weapons are made up of a mother bomb containing numerous smaller bombs. These are mostly used in widespread areas where it is difficult to work with precision.
Many of these bombs fail to detonate, often remaining behind as a tempting toy for children, with disastrous results.
8,065 victims of cluster bombs were officially recorded worldwide between May 2003 and May 2004.
More than 8 out of ten were civilians; a quarter of which were children.
Many non-governmental organisations, such as Handicap International and Human Rights Watch, have been long campaigning for a ban.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has also spoken out against the use of cluster bombs.
Belgium first, others to follow?
Just as eleven years ago when Belgium banned anti-personnel-mines, our country is the first to make the production, use and export of sub munitions a punishable offence.
According to Flemish Socialist MP Dirk Van der Maelen, in the same way Belgium's Foreign Minister persuaded other countries to follow suit after Belgium banned land mines, Karel De Gucht (photo) can now be sent out on an anti cluster bomb mission.