THIRD EDITION A GUIDE TO CLUSTER MUNITIONS GENEVA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR HUMANITARIAN DEMINING (GICHD) The GICHD is an expert organisation working to reduce the impact of mines, cluster munitions and other explosive hazards, in close partnership with mine action organisations and other human security organisations. We support the ultimate goal of mine action: saving lives, returning land to productive use and promoting development. Based at the Maison de la paix in Geneva, the GICHD employs around 55 staff members from over 15 different countries. This makes the GICHD a unique and international centre of mine action expertise and knowledge. Our work is made possible by core contributions, project funding and in-kind support from more than 20 governments and organisations. IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT UNIT, CONVENTION ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS (ISU CCM) The mandate of the ISU CCM is to support the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions on the implementation of the Convention through the CCM’s implementation machinery, office holders and thematic working groups; to provide advice and technical support to individual States Parties through the development of a resource base of relevant expertise and practices on the implementation of the Convention; to keep record of formal and informal meetings under the CCM and other relevant knowledge products, expertise and information pertaining to the implementation of the CCM; to facilitate communication amongst States Parties and other relevant actors; and serve as an interface between the States Parties and the international community on issues related to the implementation of the CCM. Acknowledgements Our sincere thanks go to the contributors of this publication: Colin King, Fenix Insight Ltd; Elke Hottentot and Bérengère Lenoir, Handicap International; Mark Thompson, Vicki Peaple and Katrien Nollen, MAG; Arianna Calza Bini, Gender & Mine Action Programme; Aneeza Pasha-Stamm; Samuel Paunila, Roland Evans, John Rawson and Olivier Cottray, GICHD. A Guide to Cluster Munitions, Third Edition, Geneva, May 2016 ISBN: 978-2-940369-55-3 A GUIDE TO CLUSTER MUNITIONS THIRD EDITION CONTENTS Foreword, Director, ISU CCM 12 Foreword, Director, GICHD 13 CHAPTER 1 Introduction 15 General characteristics of cluster munitions 16 Definitions 16 Military utility of cluster munitions 17 Why do cluster munitions cause ‘unacceptable harm’? 18 Permitted munitions 20 Use and impact of cluster munitions in armed conflict 21 History of the use of cluster munitions 21 Impact of submunitions on civilians 24 CHAPTER 2 What are cluster munitions? 27 Means of delivery 28 Accuracy 29 Strike patterns 31 Submunition types and characteristics 32 Examples of submunitions 33 Fin-stabilised fragmentation submunition 33 Spin-armed submunition 33 Anti-armour and dual-purpose submunition 34 Dual-purpose improved conventional munition 34 Combined effects submunition 35 Sensor-fuzed cluster munition 36 Selectively targeted skeet 36 Fuzing 37 Self-destruct 39 Submunition failure rates 40 4 | Contents CHAPTER 3 Convention on cluster munitions 43 Negotiation of the convention: the Oslo process 44 Definition of cluster munitions under the convention 45 General prohibitions 47 Prohibition on use 48 Prohibition on stockpiling 48 Prohibition on production and development 48 Prohibition on transfer 48 Interoperability and assisting, encouraging or inducing a prohibited activity 49 Obligations to destroy stockpiles of cluster munitions 49 Obligations to clear and destroy cluster munition remnants 50 Obligations to assist victims and survivors 52 International cooperation and assistance 52 Entry into force of the convention 53 Implementation of the convention 54 Contents | 5 CHAPTER 4 Cluster munitions and the convention on certain conventional weapons 57 Protocol V on explosive remnants of war 58 Minimising the occurrence of ERW 59 Clearing ERW 60 Data recording requirements 60 Negotiations within the CCW on cluster munitions 61 CHAPTER 5 Stockpile destruction 63 Challenges of stockpile destruction 65 Techniques for stockpile destruction 67 Open detonation 67 Closed detonation 67 Closed incineration 68 Industrial demilitarisation 68 Manual disassembly 69 International standards 70 Environmental considerations 71 CHAPTER 6 Survey of cluster strikes 73 Need for more effective survey 74 Lao PDR context 75 Development of Evidence-Based Survey (EBS) 75 Information Management (IM) aspects of CMRS 77 Significance of Evidence-Based Survey 78 Kontayoun village case study 78 All reasonable effort and liability 83 Future developments 84 Conclusion 86 6 | Contents CHAPTER 7 Clearance and disposal of cluster munitions 87 Clearance methodology 89 Visual/surface search 89 Instrument/sub-surface clearance 91 Render safe procedures 92 Detonation 92 Deflagration 93 Separation techniques 93 Manual neutralisation 93 Operational planning 94 Criteria used in determining operational priorities 94 Priority-setting and operational planning 95 Special issues when dealing with extensive contamination 97 Recording and reporting 98 IMAS and CCM 100 CHAPTER 8 Risk Reduction Education 103 Definition of RRE 104 International strategy and frameworks 105 United Nations strategy 105 Legal framework 105 Risk Education (RE) 106 National and international standards 106 CM users should fund warnings and RE 106 Planning and coordination 107 Emergency RE warnings 108 Public information dissemination 108 Long term RRE 108 Education and training 108 Capacity-building 109 Contents | 7 Materials and methodology 110 Transient and settled populations 110 RRE and marking 111 Marking of contaminated areas 111 Legal framework 112 Community mine action liaison 114 Impact measurement 114 Other pillars 115 Stockpile destruction 115 Survivor assistance 115 Advocacy 115 Conclusion 116 CHAPTER 9 Assisting the victims 119 Who is a victim? 120 Victim Assistance (VA) in a CM context 123 Medical care 123 Rehabilitation 124 Psychological and psychosocial support 124 Social inclusion 125 Inclusive education 126 Economic inclusion 126 Laws and policies 126 Identification and referral 127 Understanding the challenges faced 127 Gender and diversity 128 Non-discrimination 129 VA in broader contexts 131 Integrated approach to VA 132 Specific VA efforts – inclusion of persons with disabilities 133 Broader efforts reach victims amongst overall beneficiaries 134 Responsibilities for VA 136 8 | Contents CHAPTER 10 Information management 143 Information management cycle 144 Identifying information requirements 145 Data collection 145 Data validation and storage 146 Data analysis 147 Reporting and dissemination 147 Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) 148 CHAPTER 11 Gender and diversity 151 Gender and diversity terminology 152 Why gender and diversity in actions on ERW? 153 Mainstreaming gender and diversity in programmes to reduce CM impact 154 Normative framework and key references 157 ANNEXES Annex I 162 Annex II 187 Annex III 191 Annex IV 215 Annex V 223 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 227 Contents | 9 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CMD GPS AXO conventional munitions global positioning system abandoned explosive ordnance disposal HEAT APMBC CMRS high explosive anti-tank Anti–Personnel Mine Ban cluster munition remnants Convention survey ICRC BAC International Committee CRPD of the Red Cross battle area clearance Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities IM CBU information management cluster bomb unit DAP Dubrovnik Action Plan IMAS CCP international mine action circular error probable DPICM standards dual-purpose improved CCW conventional munitions IMSMA Convention on Certain information management Conventional Weapons (1980) EBS system for mine action evidence-based survey CEM INGO combined effects munition EEP international non-governmental elliptical error probable organisation CHA confirmed hazardous area EOD JSOW explosive ordnance disposal joint standoff weapon CL community liaison ERW KAP explosive remnants of war knowledge, attitude CLO and practice community liaison officer EU European Union LAO PDR CM Lao People’s Democratic cluster munitions GBV Republic gender-based violence CMC MBRL Cluster Munition Coalition GICHD Multi barrel rocket launcher Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining MRE mine risk education GIS geographic information system 10 | List of Abbreviations NCDR RR UK National Committee for risk reduction United Kingdom Demining and Rehabilitation RRE UN NGO risk reduction education United Nations non-governmental organisation RSP UNIDIR NMAA render safe procedure UN Institute for Disarmament national mine action authority Research SD NMAC self-destruct UNMAS national mine action centre UN Mine Action Service SFW NMAS sensor-fuzed weapon USA national mine action standards United States of America SHA NTS suspected hazard area UXO non-technical survey unexploded ordnance STS NPA selectively targeted skeet WAD Norwegian People’s Aid weapon and ammunition SOP destruction OD standard operating procedures open detonation WCMD SP wind corrected munitions QM States Parties dispenser quality management TS RE technical survey risk education UAV unmanned aerial vehicle List of Abbreviations | 11 FOREWORD The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) entered into force in 2010. Since then, tremendous progress has been made by both States Parties and other affected States toward ridding the world of these indiscriminate weapons and in universalising the Convention. It prohibits all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. There is a framework