More than 100 dignitaries from around the world are gathering in Norway on Wednesday to sign a treaty banning the use and stockpiling of cluster bombs.
The first talks on the ban were held in Wellington earlier this year, with New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Austria, Ireland, Mexico and Zambia spearheading the process towards The Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Campaigners are hailing the treaty as a major breakthrough. However, some of the biggest stockpilers, including the United States, Russia and China will not be among those signing the treaty in Oslo.
First developed during World War II, cluster bombs contain a number of smaller bomblets designed to cover a large area and deter an advancing army.
But campaigners, including some in the military, have long argued that they are outmoded and immoral because of the dangers posed to civilians from bombs that do not explode and litter the ground like landmines.
The treaty will not ban cluster weapons outright. It allows for the development of cluster bombs with greater precision and lower failure rates - an approach the US in particular says it is already pursuing.
As well as banning the use of cluster bombs, the treaty also provides for clearance in those countries littered with unexploded bomblets.
'Historic' treaty
The first non-governmental organisation to call for a worldwide ban on the weapons, Human Rights Watch in America, says one of the "most dreadful weapons of modern times" is being banned absolutely.
The organisation's associate director, Carroll Bogert, told Checkpoint on Wednesday the treaty is historic, as for the first time, it includes provisions to help victims whose lives have been affected by the use of cluster bombs.
