03 May 2013

Bolivia Ratifies Cluster Bomb Ban

The Plurinational State of Bolivia has become the latest country to join the global ban on cluster munitions, after depositing its instrument of ratification on 30 April. Bolivia will become the 82nd State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions when its ratification enters into force on 1 October 2013 in accord with the waiting period mandated by the Convention.

"Bolivia's ratification strengthens the global stigma against this horrific weapon and brings Latin America one step closer to being the first cluster munition-free region in the world," said Cluster Munition Coalition Campaign Manager Amy Little.

Among Latin American countries, only Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela have not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Colombia and Paraguay have signed the treaty and but need to complete a ratification process.Bolivia participated in several meetings of the Oslo Process that created the convention, including the Dublin negotiations and was one of 94 signatory states to the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008.

Bolivia is the fourth country to ratify the treaty in 2013, following the ratifications of Nauru (4 Feb), Liechtenstein (4 March) and Chad (26 March) and the first to announce their decision following discussion of the global ban at the 15-18 April Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) Intersessional Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.Bolivia has never used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.