Ambassador Ludin speaks at signing conference on cluster munitions

Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me tremendous pleasure and honour to inform you that within the past two hours, I have received instructions and authorization from His Excellency President Hamid Karzai to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions on behalf of Afghanistan.

I congratulate the people, governments and institutions behind this conference, the Kingdom of Norway and the United Nations, in particular, for this historical conference. The success of which has already started spreading.

Mr. Chairman,
Until this morning, Afghanistan was not going to be signatory to this convention. That was a principled position we had maintained since the beginning of the Oslo Process, as a reflection of Afghanistan’s current situation. We are effectively at war and any disarmament measure at a time of war requires very cautious treatment.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains one of the worst affected nations by war and weapons, including cluster munitions. And it is this very reality, and the recognition of the plight of the thousands of victims of cluster munitions in my country that has resulted in President Karzai’s decision today. This decision is, above all, a tribute to the victims of cluster munitions in Afghanistan and around the world.

Like many nations present here today, we in Afghanistan aspire to a world that is free of arms and munitions. Belonging to a region that suffers from a dangerous over-armament, we consider it in our vital security and national interest.

Having said that, I assure you and all our partners, who are fighting the war on terrorism alongside the Afghan people, that the signing of this convention will in no way affect our part in this war. It will indeed strengthen our efforts.

Mr. Chairman,
Today’s step is not just a huge contribution towards global disarmament; it is also a great victory for international humanitarian law.

I want to thank the Kingdom of Norway for the leadership in this process and the others for working hard to achieve this important outcome today. Above all, I thank the Afghan victims whose activism and efforts have resulted in President Karzai’s decision to sign the convention, some of whom are present here today.

Thank you.



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