28 May 2012

Africa Unite: Accra Regional Conference

African states played an instrumental role supporting a ban on cluster munitions throughout the Oslo Process to negotiate a ban treaty. Today Ghana marked an important day on the national calendar as the Accra Regional Conference on the Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions opened in Ghana’s capital.More than two-thirds of Sub-Saharan Africa is represented at the conference where governments are discussing how momentum can be built to bring the entire continent on board the ban. 41 of the 111 countries that have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions are in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are just eight remaining countries in the region left to join. While a great number of countries already onboard, 22 countries still need to take the next step and complete their ratification process.Over the next few days in Accra and in the coming months before the Third Meeting of States Parties in Oslo in September, there is an opportunity to bring the remaining Sub-Saharan African states on board the ban to show an Africa united against cluster bombs. The conference in Accra also will help countries to take a leading role in universalising the Convention and implementing it.Read more on the Convention website and the CMC conference page. Follow updates during the conference on CMC’s Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts.