Slovakia announces a significant milestone in Geneva as it completes the destruction of its cluster munitions stockpiles
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- Date: 12.09.2023
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Slovakia can boast of fulfilling one of its most important obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL) – the destruction of its cluster munitions stockpiles – to which it committed itself in the past. As a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), Slovakia belongs to a group of countries which have rejected the use of this type of weapons that pose a serious risk to civilian populations.
SVK MOD officials made this announcement during today's meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Geneva. Slovakia met the obligation ahead of the deadline – 31 December 2023. “Ever since Slovak authorities adopted the political decision to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, we have made meeting our obligation towards this key international humanitarian law instrument a priority for Slovakia,” Director General of the MOD Defence Policy Department Ján Mozola said, adding, “I can confirm that Slovakia achieved this goal as of 1 September 2023. Today, we have no cluster munitions in our stocks.”
Slovakia's disposal of stockpiled cluster munitions included several types of artillery-fired and air-deployed cluster munitions, including 300,000 submunitions. These were destroyed by the Slovak Armed Forces in line with the Action Plan for Cluster Munitions Destruction. The process had been in progress since before Slovakia's accession to Convention – since 2013, with the help of EOD specialists.
Some of the cluster munitions were destroyed at the sites of the Slovak Armed Forces, while others were disposed of abroad. The disposal of the M26 cluster munition rockets was undertaken through the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation (NSPA) at NAMMO NAD (Norwegian Ammunition Disposal Company) in Norway, thanks to U.S. funding provided for this purpose on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic regarding Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Assistance.
The use of cluster munitions is banned by more than 120 countries, because they put civilian populations at risk with indiscriminate effects during firing (these weapons release a large number of small explosive charges – bomblets – that disperse around a wide area of up to several hectares) and after it. As a result, large areas remain contaminated by unexploded submunitions in the ground long after conflicts end, causing civilians serious injuries and loss of life.
SVK MOD officials made this announcement during today's meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Geneva. Slovakia met the obligation ahead of the deadline – 31 December 2023. “Ever since Slovak authorities adopted the political decision to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, we have made meeting our obligation towards this key international humanitarian law instrument a priority for Slovakia,” Director General of the MOD Defence Policy Department Ján Mozola said, adding, “I can confirm that Slovakia achieved this goal as of 1 September 2023. Today, we have no cluster munitions in our stocks.”
Slovakia's disposal of stockpiled cluster munitions included several types of artillery-fired and air-deployed cluster munitions, including 300,000 submunitions. These were destroyed by the Slovak Armed Forces in line with the Action Plan for Cluster Munitions Destruction. The process had been in progress since before Slovakia's accession to Convention – since 2013, with the help of EOD specialists.
Some of the cluster munitions were destroyed at the sites of the Slovak Armed Forces, while others were disposed of abroad. The disposal of the M26 cluster munition rockets was undertaken through the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation (NSPA) at NAMMO NAD (Norwegian Ammunition Disposal Company) in Norway, thanks to U.S. funding provided for this purpose on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic regarding Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Assistance.
The use of cluster munitions is banned by more than 120 countries, because they put civilian populations at risk with indiscriminate effects during firing (these weapons release a large number of small explosive charges – bomblets – that disperse around a wide area of up to several hectares) and after it. As a result, large areas remain contaminated by unexploded submunitions in the ground long after conflicts end, causing civilians serious injuries and loss of life.
