“We do not support the use of cluster munitions and are committed to putting an end to the effects cluster munitions have on civilians - particularly children,” Global Affairs Canada spokesperson John Babcock told The Epoch Times by email on July 8.
“Canada’s longstanding position on cluster munitions is clear and Canadians can be proud of our leadership on this issue,” he said.
Canada is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and “championed” its adoption, said Mr. Babcock, noting that the convention built on the Ottawa Treaty to Ban Landmines and has been ratified by more than 100 countries.
“Canada is fully compliant with the Convention and we take seriously our obligation under the Convention to encourage its universal adoption,” said Mr. Babcock.
Human Rights Bill
Canada also has a private member’s bill currently before the Senate that in part addresses cluster munitions. Bill C-281, the International Human Rights Act, was introduced by Conservative MP Philip Lawrence in June 2022 and received unanimous support in the House of Commons during third reading on June 7 this year.“[Cluster] munitions are extremely deadly and non-discriminate pieces of military weapons. What differentiates them from other pieces [of weapons] is they are completely indiscriminate, and they will kill civilians just as soon as they would kill soldiers, children,” said Mr. Lawrence when he introduced the bill on June 13, 2022.
Dormant Bombs
Cluster munitions, also called cluster bombs, were first used in World War II and are containers that can hold from a dozen to as many as 600 explosives, sometimes called bomblets. The munitions can be dropped from aircraft or launched via artillery and missile strikes. When the containers detonate in the air, they break apart and disperse those bomblets across a large area.While the bomblets are intended to explode when dispersed, many don’t do so but lie dormant while remaining active for years, potentially putting civilians including children at risk when found after the conflict years later. In addition, a high percentage of cluster bombs are not precision-guided but can free-float into areas where civilians are present.
![Mines Advisory Group (MAG) Technical Field Manager Nick Guest inspects a Cluster Bomb Unit that was dropped by Israeli warplanes during the 34-day-long Hezbollah-Israeli war, in the southern village of Ouazaiyeh, Lebanon, on Nov. 9, 2006. (Mohammed Zaatari/Associated Press)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F03%2F14%2FAP_061109057390-600x400.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
‘Right to Self-Defence’
The risk to civilians was acknowledged by the United States on July 7 when the country announced that cluster munitions would be sent to Ukraine.He alleged that Russian has been “indiscriminately using cluster munitions from day 1.”
“Our position is simple - we need to liberate our temporarily occupied territories and save the lives of our people. For this we need to inflict losses on the enemy - war criminals, rapists and looters - who are occupying our territories,” Mr. Reznikov wrote.
“The more losses we inflict on them the more lives of Ukrainian people we will be able to save,“ he added. ”This is why we will continue to do this using all lethal weapons available to us.”
Opposition
Russian’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the U.S. decision to send cluster munitions on July 8, according to a Reuters report.“Another ‘wonder weapon,’ which Washington and Kyiv are counting on without considering its grave consequences, will in no way affect the course of the special military operation, the goals and objectives of which will be fully achieved,” said Ms. Zakharova.