The U.S. has missed another key meeting of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It was invited to attend the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in San Jose, Costa Rica on September 2-5 2014 as an observer, but has never participated in a meeting of the convention. 

At the meeting, Central America became the first region to become free of cluster munitions with Belize announcing its accession to the convention. Nearly 40 countries condemned or express concerns at reports of new cluster muntion use while the final report of the meeting states condemned any use of cluster munitions, anywhere, by anyone.

The Cluster Munition Coalition issued its annual report, Cluster Munition Monitor 2014, reviewing implementation and universalization. It detailed new use of cluster munitions in South Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine. According to the report, 113 states have signed or acceded to the convention of which 84 are States Parties legally bound by all of the convention’s provisions. Four States Parties completed stockpile destruction in the reporting period: Chile, Denmark, FYR Macedonia, and the UK.    

Read more by CMC on the Fifth Meeting of States Parties