Non Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament
Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW)
The Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, also known as the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), was concluded on October 10, 1980, and entered into force on December 2, 1983. There are currently 102 States Parties to the Convention.
The CCW is made up of a framework convention and five protocols. The weapons currently covered by the CCW include:
- Weapons leaving undetectable fragments in the human body (Protocol I)
- Mines, booby-traps and other devices (Protocol II)
- Incendiary weapons (Protocol III)
- Blinding laser weapons (Protocol IV) and
- Explosive remnants of war (Protocol V).
Protocols I, II and III entered into force on 2 December 1983. Protocol IV on blinding laser weapons was negotiated and adopted in 1995 and entered into force in 30 July 1998. Protocol II on the prohibition or restriction on the use of mines, booby-traps and other devices was amended in 1996 and entered into force on 3 December 1998. In 2001, states parties amended Article I of the Convention by extending the scope of its application to include internal armed conflicts. Protocol V was negotiated and adopted on 28 November 2003.
Australia ratified the CCW on 29 September 1983 together with Protocols I, II and III; the amended Protocol II and Protocol IV on 22 August 1997, the amendment to Article I on 3 Dec 2002, and Protocol V in January 2007.
The Australian Government warmly welcomes the adoption, by 111 States participating in the Dublin Diplomatic Conference (19-30 May 2008), of the text of a new treaty banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. The treaty represents a strong humanitarian outcome, particularly in regard to the protection of civilians in conflict zones, victim assistance and clearance of affected areas.
The Government is reviewing the treaty carefully prior to its opening for signature in Oslo in December 2008. The Foreign Minister advised the House of Representatives in May that he was 'very confident' that Australia would be in a position to sign the treaty by the end of the year.
Australia is also remaining active in the CCW negotiations on cluster munitions. The CCW includes the major manufacturers and users of cluster munitions, which elected to remain outside the independent negotiations which concluded in Dublin.