The Commonwealth Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) Universalisation Workshop

The Commonwealth workshop on Universalisation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) was held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, England, on 2 March 2023. The workshop was organised by the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Convention and sponsored by the government of the United Kingdom.

Commonwealth member state representatives from four CCM Signatory States, two States not Parties and two States Parties met to discuss the universalisation of the Convention in the Commonwealth. Spain in its capacity as the CCM Universalisation Co-Coordinator attended the workshop. Workshop resource persons were representatives of Spain, the United Kingdom, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Cluster Munitions Coalitions (CMC), and the ISU. The workshop aimed to provide an opportunity for States not yet party to the CCM in the Commonwealth to discuss challenges and possible solutions to joining the Convention. Furthermore, it aimed to help States better understand the provisions of the Convention and undertake efforts towards ratification or accession. In addition, the workshop provided an opportunity to extend universalisation and national implementation efforts further across the Commonwealth by taking concrete steps towards achieving the goals established in the Lausanne Action Plan (LAP). The Signatories and States not Parties that attended the workshop were also invited to provide updates on the status of any plans to ratify or accede the Convention and shared the specific obstacles and challenges faced in this regard.

The Commonwealth CCM Signatory States and States not Party discussed the obstacles and challenges faced in the ratification or accession process and explored concrete solutions to ensure their swift adherence. States representatives attending the workshop provided an overview of the status of their processes on ratification or accession to the Convention.

There are five Signatory States and 16 States not Party to the CCM in the Commonwealth. The workshop was attended by eight Commonwealth members – four of the six Commonwealth Signatory States (Cyprus, Jamaica, Tanzania, and Uganda), two States not Party (Gabon and Malaysia) and two States Parties (Nigeria and the United Kingdom). Resources and expert advice on the Convention’s key operational obligations and on national ratification and domestication processes were made available to participants during the workshop which had interactive sessions included in the programme.

Additional information can be accessed by clicking on the links below:

Programme
Background Document
Final Report