DUBLIN: UN chief Ban Ki-Moon called on Monday for a “visionary” global deal to ban cluster bombs, as delegates from over 100 countries opened a conference aimed at outlawing the lethal weapons.

The 12-day talks, at Dublin’s Croke Park Gaelic sports stadium, is aiming for a wide-ranging pact that would completely wipe out the use, production and stockpiling of cluster bombs by its signatories.

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, opening the conference, said his country was pushing for an ambitious outcome.

“Together, we owe it to the survivors of cluster munitions to ease their pain and give them hope.

“We owe it to humanity to ensure there will be no more innocent civilian victims of cluster munitions,” he told envoys from 109 countries.

Cluster munitions are among the weapons which pose the gravest dangers to civilians, according to the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), an umbrella group of non-governmental organisations.

Dropped from warplanes or fired from artillery guns, they explode in mid-air, randomly scattering bomblets ramping up the risk of civilians being killed or maimed by their indiscriminate, wide-area effect.

They also pose a lasting threat to civilians, as many bomblets fail to explode on impact.

The UN secretary-general, in a video message, urged delegates to agree a ban on cluster bombs to “help relieve communities from the hidden horrors of these weapons”. He called for a legal instrument outlawing them, saying cluster munitions were “inherently inaccurate, particularly indiscriminate and unreliable.

“I hope you will be bold and visionary in your deliberations and wish you every success.” Delegates also heard from the Red Cross and from a cluster bomb victim.

Under the draft treaty, signatories would never use, develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer cluster munitions. They would also have six years to destroy their stockpiles.

The draft also includes provisions for the welfare of cluster bomb victims and for cleaning up affected areas.

But some countries, particularly Britain, are looking to water down the wording, the CMC said.

Britain is reportedly seeking exemptions for two types of weapons which they say are still needed to protect troops on operations against possible enemy advances.

“The political pressure is going to be very high on the UK,” CMC coordinator Thomas Nash said.

“Prime Minister Gordon Brown has made strong statements with political commitment to signing this treaty in 2008.

“If their allies like France, Germany, Australia, Canada and others sign up, we think it will be very difficult for the UK to walk away.” Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland are among other states seeking amendments.

Some want exemptions on certain types of cluster weapons, more time to dismantle their arsenals, looser language on assistance for example in joint military operations or transition periods in which they could still be used.

Notably absent from the conference include China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and the United States all major producers and stockpilers.

Campaigners hope a ban would stigmatise the use of cluster munitions by non-signatories as has happened with landmines so increasing pressure on those countries to reduce or stop using them themselves.

The Dublin gathering aims to secure an agreement that would be signed in Oslo on Dec 2-3. Signatories would then need to ratify it.

The process, started by Norway in February 2007, has taken the same path as the landmark 1997 Ottawa Treaty ban on anti-personnel landmines, as it goes outside the United Nations to avoid vetoes and seal a swift treaty.—AFP