“The United States Government must reconsider its decision to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine,” said Alice Jill Edwards, UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, on September 20. framework of the 54th session of the Human Rights Council warning that weapons could cause serious and indiscriminate harm to civilians both immediately and in the long term.
Alice Jill Edwards, UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, sent an urgent communication to the US government in July 2023, urging Washington to provide its assessment on whether the decision to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine was correct and compatible with its obligations under international human rights law, particularly in relation to absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the duty to protect the right to life of all human beings.
The special rapporteur’s office has not yet received a response from the United States.
This communication has already been made public, and this is when media reports suggest that the US administration could also send longer-range missiles loaded with cluster bombs to Ukraine. “These weapons could indiscriminately and seriously injure civilians both at the time of their use and after a conflict has ended, potentially for decades,” Edwards said.
“I call on the United States Government to demonstrate intelligence in this area,” the special rapporteur said. “Cluster munitions can be extremely harmful to civilian populations, causing death and permanent life-altering injuries. They are banned in more than 100 countries. I urge the United States to reconsider its decision to transfer these weapons. “Military demands should not nullify human rights.”
The expert said it was deeply worrying that in the current armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces had used cluster munitions, causing numerous deaths and serious injuries to civilians.
“Women, children and the elderly are more likely to be killed in indiscriminate attacks against civilians,” said the Special Rapporteur. “With cluster munitions, this is a long-lasting threat as they often do not explode as intended on impact and can remain dangerous for decades. “They unnecessarily prolong a full transition to peace and act as painful reminders of war,” Edwards said.
