German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Wieczorek-Zeul: international ban on cluster munitions

March 2007

After having met with representatives of ActionGroup Landmine.de and Handicap International, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul issued the following press release:

Subject: Press release No. 30/2007 Wieczorek-Zeul:

Wieczorek-Zeul: INTERNATIONAL BAN ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS

German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development supports NGOs' initiatives

“We must once and for all see to it that cluster munitions are banned. The production, the trade and, above all, the use of these terrible weapons should simply be prohibited”, declared German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul after having met with representatives of "Handicap International" and "ActionGroup Landmine.de".

Handicap International is active in about 60 countries around the world, assisting victims of cluster munitions and mines and defusing unexploded remnants of war. ActionGroup Landmine.de is a coalition of 17 German NGOs – including Handicap International – which campaigns for a ban on all landmines and cluster munitions. “NGOs are doing an invaluable job fighting against cluster munitions and landmines. And we will support them actively.”

The majority of people killed or maimed by cluster munitions are civilians. Unexploded ordnance (UXO) poses a particular threat to children, who tend to mistake the bombs for toys because of their bright colour. In developing countries, whole regions are plagued again and again by UXO as fields, roads, houses and watering places become inaccessible. As a result, cluster munitions seriously hamper the economic development of many post-war areas.

“I welcome the fact that the recent Oslo conference on cluster munitions has instigated an international process to introduce a ban on these weapons. Germany must now help to bring this process to conclusion. Belgium, which already has a law banning cluster munitions, should serve as a model for Germany on a national level”, added Minister Wieczorek-Zeul.

For further enquiries, contact:

Thomas Küchenmeister

Aktionsbündnis Landmine.de / Actiongroup Landmine.de

Leiter / Director

Rykestr. 13

10405 Berlin

Tel +49 (0)30 32661681

FAX +49 (0)30 42801688

MOBILE +49 (0)175 4964 082

SKYPE: thomas.kuechenmeister

(Unofficial translation by Justine Delloye)