New Zealand is one of the first 30 countries to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions which comes into force on 1 August 2010.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the convention is a major step towards putting an end to the terrible suffering those weapons have caused for decades.

The convention prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.

"This new instrument of international humanitarian law clearly prohibits and stigmatizes the use of cluster munitions," said Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the ICRC.

"This is a milestone in the fight against the use of cluster munitions and should put an end to decades of suffering for men, women and children. We take this opportunity to call on all states party to the convention to start implementing it without delay, and we hope that the entry into force will also affect the practice of states that have not yet adhered to the treaty."

Implementing the convention will require the mobilization of resources to clear contaminated areas, destroy stockpiles, and provide assistance for those whose lives have been adversely affected by cluster munitions. It will also require the adoption of domestic laws and regulations to ensure that the convention is enforced at national level.

"The entry into force only 21 months after the treaty was opened for signature in Oslo clearly demonstrates the strong commitment of the states parties, and their collective will to begin addressing the humanitarian problems caused by these weapons," added Mr Kellenberger.

From 8 to 12 November 2010, the states parties will gather in Vientiane, Laos, to establish an action plan for implementing the convention and to decide on procedures for regular monitoring of the progress achieved.

The ICRC played an important role in the process that led to the adoption of the convention.

Through the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which New Zealand Red Cross belongs to, it is promoting its comprehensive implementation and universal adoption.

Other states that have ratified the convention are Albania, Austria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Holy See, Ireland, Japan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Luxembourg, Macedonia (former Yugoslav Republic), Malawi, Malta, Mexico, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Spain, Uruguay and Zambia.

Read the full text of the convention here.

Why is this convention so necessary? Watch this powerful DVD. Includes an interview with Alberto Cairo, the "angel of Kabul" and head of ICRC's orthopaedic services in Kabul, and with Don MacKay, the former New Zealand ambassador to the United Nations. 

Read about New Zealand government actions on cluster munitions here.