Overwhelming success in Oslo as 46 nations commit to a cluster bomb ban in 2008.

In a dramatic, last-minute announcement, the UK signed up to a new international process to protect civilians from the impact of cluster bombs.

Negotiations on the text of the treaty will happen in a series of meetings in Peru, Austria and Ireland during 2007 and early 2008.

Prior to the Oslo meeting, the UK sought to distance itself from the talks insisting that the only way forward is within the Geneva disarmament conference (CCW). The UK has used hundreds of thousands of cluster bomblets in recent conflicts in Kosovo and Iraq. Signing up to the Oslo declaration is a landmark moment in the response to growing global public concern over the indiscriminate nature of these weapons.

46 nations have signed up to the declaration including Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Only Japan, Romania and Poland refused to sign up to the declaration.

Simon Conway, Director of Landmine Action said

"In a dramatic last minute statement, the UK, which has used so many cluster bombs in the past, showed real leadership and agreed to join a fast track process to negotiate a ban on cluster bombs that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The UK should now commit to dispose of their stockpile of "dumb cluster munitions" as soon as possible."

Anna Macdonald, Conflict Campaign Manager, Oxfam said

"Cluster bombs not only kill and maim civilians caught in the cross-fire, but like landmines they leave a deadly legacy destroying lives and livelihoods for years afterwards. It is time the world banned one of the most indiscriminate weapons of war. We welcome the UK and other governments' support for committing to begin work on what will be a life-saving treaty."

Oliver Sprague, Programme Director, Arms Control Campaign - Amnesty International UK said

"As the recent conflict in Lebanon has shown, where millions of bomblets were indiscriminately dropped in the last 72 hours alone, cluster bombs continue to cause tremendous human suffering. It is fitting that the UK government - a major user of cluster bombs but also a champion of tough international arms controls - has chosen now to support international efforts to ban these weapons."

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Notes for Editors:

• Cluster bombs have been used in at least 23 countries and have caused excessive harm to civilians for over 40 years.

• The use of cluster bombs in Lebanon during the conflict in 2006 brought the horrific impact of these weapons to the world's attention once again.

• US government internal reports suggest that Israel breached agreements on the use of cluster bombs during the 2006 conflict.

• The presence of Chinese manufactured submunitions, identified by Human Rights Watch as having been used by Hezbollah, shows that cluster bombs have already begun to proliferate to non-state armed groups.

• The UK has dropped more than 190,000 submunitions in Kosovo and Iraq but they have not yet provided any concrete examples of these weapons providing a decisive military advantage. These cluster bombs are still being cleared up in Kosovo. In Iraq the security situation means that the problem is impossible to assess.

• On Wednesday 21 February 2007, Austria, a stockpiler of cluster bombs declared a moratorium on the use of the weapons, following Norway who announced a moratorium in June 2006. Belgium became the first country to ban cluster bombs in February 2006.

Oslo Conference:

• The Oslo Conference took place from Thursday 22 to Friday 23 February 2007 at Soria Moria in Oslo, Norway.

• 49 nations were in attendance: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

• The CMC civil society forum, organised in partnership with Norwegian People's Aid, was held in parallel to the government meeting with a series of events taking place in Oslo from Tuesday 20 to Friday 23 February 2007. Many leading international organisations attended including Amnesty International; The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, Greenpeace; Human Rights Watch; Handicap International; International, Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL); the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); Iraqi League of Doctors; Oxfam GB and War Child.

• A meeting of French, British, Swiss, Belgian and Norwegian parliamentarians took place on Wednesday 22 February 2007 in the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo. Bills for a prohibition on cluster munitions are currently tabled in both the UK House of Commons and House of Lords.

• The next meeting in the new process will take place in Lima, Peru 23 - 25 May 2007.

Landmine Action:

• Landmine Action works to improve protection for civilians from the effects of conflict. Our policy, research and advocacy work focuses on establishing appropriate controls over the technology of violence.

• Landmine Action has been a member of the steering committee for the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) since it was established in 2003. The CMC has a membership of over 200 non-governmental organisations worldwide.

• Product Recall, the UK campaign to ban cluster munitions was launched in October 2006. For more information visit www.spreadingourvalues.com.

For more information, research reports, or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Therese Lyras, Campaigns Manager, Landmine Action on +44 (0)20 7820 0222/+44 (0)7738 222 369 tlyras@landmineaction.org or Simon Conway, Director, Landmine Action on +44 (0)7843 387 149.