Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Seven years ago, Costa Rica hosted the regional meeting of the Convention on Cluster Munitions for Latin America and the Caribbean. These days, Costa Rica is the leading member state in this noble effort. Speaking before representatives from 115 nations, President Luis Guillermo Solis called on Central American leaders to comply with the directives of the treaty and thus proudly become the world’s first region to be completely free of cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs are war munitions that are usually launched from the air. Upon approaching or hitting their targets, cluster bombs break up and separate into smaller explosives. These munitions were first developed by the Third Reich and deployed by the Luftwaffe against the Allies. They can be used as anti-personnel or anti-vehicle weapons, but they can also be used to drop leaflets as part of propaganda or psychological operations on civilian populations.

In terms of war-fighting, cluster bombs are efficient but they are also terrible weapons. As described by the Convention:

Cluster munitions are unacceptable for two reasons. Firstly, they have wide area effects and are unable to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Secondly, the use of cluster munitions leave behind large numbers of dangerous unexploded ordnance. Such remnants kill and injure civilians, obstruct economic and social development, and have other severe consequences that persist for years and decades after use.

In a communique by Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that Costa Rica has been able to convince two nations to join the Convention during her current leadership term. Norway was the first country to lead this initiative, and it was able to do it in record time thanks to involvement from key organizations within its society; Minister Gonzalez is confident that emulating Norway’s track record on this noble endeavor, Costa Rica will be able to achieve the goals of President Solis and the Convention.

The Convention not only seeks to stop production and stockpiling of cluster bombs; it also calls for governments that have deployed them to assist affected civil societies with reconstruction and with dignified rehabilitation of those who have been maimed by these weapons.

Although major war-fighting nations such as the United Kingdom and Iraq have joined the Convention, other nations such as the United States and Israel are conspicuously absent from the list of member states. By virtue of her status as a nation without armed forces, Costa Rica has never stockpiled or used cluster bombs; however, this is a nation that has moral responsibility in all global peace initiatives.