|
Churches praise
Government’s new stance
on cluster munitions
At talks in Dublin over the last two
weeks, governments have drafted the text for a treaty to ban the
use of cluster bombs. This week the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown
has committed the UK to withdrawing the remaining two cluster
munitions from its arsenal.
The Baptist Union of Great Britain,
the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church have for
some time campaigned for a full ban on cluster munitions. Today
they issued a joint statement welcoming the outcome of the
Dublin summit.
Graham Sparkes,
Head of Faith & Unity, the Baptist Union of Great Britain says;
“the churches have been calling for such a treaty for a long
time. Cluster bombs kill indiscriminately and continue to do so
long after fighting has stopped, harming those who are already
living in a vulnerable situation following the conflict.”
In the two months
after the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah on average three
civilians were killed every day by unexploded cluster bombs. One
third of these deaths were children.
Simon Loveitt, the
United Reformed Church’s Spokesperson on Public Issues, says;
“The agreement in Dublin offers hope for a future without such
weapons and the chance to offer improved protection for
civilians during and after conflict. In the past, the UK has
been a significant user of cluster munitions. The UK
Government’s support for a complete ban is therefore
particularly important."
However, Steve
Hucklesby, Methodist Secretary for International Affairs, warns
that there is still much to be done; “The work is not yet
finished. The strength of this treaty will largely depend on
encouraging more governments to support it and take the
important steps to phase out the stockpiling and use of these
weapons.”
Information about
the Churches’ campaign on cluster bombs can be found at:
www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/clustermunitions
ENDS
|
