Papua New Guinea

Cluster Munition Ban Policy

Last updated: 11 June 2015

Five-Year Review: Non-signatory Papua New Guinea adopted the convention, but has not taken any steps to join it since 2008. It has not attended a meeting of the convention. Papua New Guinea is not known to have ever used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions

Policy

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The status of accession is not known as PNG last commented on the matter in 2008.

PNG joined the Oslo Process in February 2008 and adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Dublin on 30 May 2008. A government representative was present at the Signing Conference in Oslo in December 2008 but indicated that he did not have the correct paperwork ready to sign the convention at the time.[1]

PNG has not attended any meetings of the Convention on Cluster Munitions since 2008.

PNG has, however, voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, including Resolution 69/189 on 18 December 2014, which expressed “outrage” at the continued use.[2]

PNG is party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It has not joined the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

PNG is not known to have ever used, produced, transferred, or stockpiled cluster munitions.



[1] Interview with Yu Minibi, Foreign Service Officer, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in Oslo, 3 December 2008.

[2] “Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic,” UNGA Resolution A/RES/69/189, 18 December 2014. PNG voted in favor of a similar resolutions in 2013 on 15 May and 18 December.