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New use of cluster bombs threatens global ban, report warns

Details: Written by Super User; Category: News-Reports-Studies; Published: 11 September 2024; Hits: 74

GENEVA - Cluster bomblets continue to kill thousands of civilians, mostly children, and the new use of this predominantly outlawed class of weapons is threatening efforts to universally ban them, according to a new report published on Monday.

Civilians accounted for 93 per cent of the global casualties from cluster munitions in 2023, according to the 100-page Cluster Munition Monitor 2024, produced by the Cluster Munition Coalition, an international civil society group working in over 100 countries.

“Actions by countries that have not banned cluster munitions are putting civilians at risk and threatening the integrity and universality of the international treaty prohibiting these abhorrent weapons,” said Tamar Gabelnick, director of the Cluster Munition Coalition, which will present the report to the 12th Meeting of States parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions at the UN in Geneva on 10 to 13 September.

Indeed, children made up nearly half of all people killed and injured by cluster munition remnants in 2023, and attacks also had direct and devastating impacts on civilian objects, including schools and hospitals, according to the report.

“It is imperative that all countries join the Convention on Cluster Munitions and help fulfil its goal of putting an end to suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions,” Mr. Gabelnick said.

New violations reported

A total of 112 States have joined the ban, including South Sudan, the last country to accede to the convention, which prohibits cluster munitions and requires destruction of stockpiles and clearance of areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants - as well as the provision of risk education and assistance to victims.

While there have been no reports or allegations of new use of cluster munitions by any State party since the convention was adopted in May 2008, the weapons were deployed in Ukraine by both Russian and Ukrainian forces in 2023 and through the time of publication of the latest monitoring report.

The number of manufacturers has increased to 17 from 16 since 2023, with Myanmar now producing cluster munitions alongside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Türkiye and the US, none of whom are party to the global treaty.

New use of these weapons was also recorded in Myanmar and Syria during the reporting period, according to the report, which provides an overview of the implementation of and adherence to the convention.

Deadly legacy

Like landmines, cluster munitions leave behind a deadly legacy felt long after battles end. Many of these submunitions fail to explode on initial impact, leaving remnants that indiscriminately injure and kill for years until they are cleared and destroyed.

According to Cluster Munition Monitor 2024, a total of 28 countries and other areas are contaminated or suspected to be contaminated by cluster munition remnants, including 10 States parties to the convention.

Contamination from cluster munition remnants makes it perilous and difficult to access agricultural land, further endangering lives and livelihoods in affected areas.

This was particularly notable in Ukraine, where there is indication that more agricultural land is contaminated by cluster munition remnants than by anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines combined.

In war-torn Gaza, which has been bombarded daily by Israeli forces for almost one year, clearing unexploded ordnance would take years and cost millions of dollars to make the land safe, experts told UN News earlier this year.

Alarming consequences and casualties

Cluster munitions cause severe blast, burn and fragmentation injuries that result in life-long medical and rehabilitation needs for most survivors.

While some progress has been made in victim assistance, the report stated that significant challenges persist, particularly in countries like Afghanistan and Lebanon, where healthcare systems are strained.

The new report also found that Ukraine recorded the highest number of annual cluster munition casualties in the world for the second consecutive year, though the actual number of casualties is thought to be significantly higher than the number recorded.

Cluster munitions have killed and injured over one thousand people in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

Updates on clearing efforts

The report flagged a decrease in the area cleared of cluster munition remnants in 2023 compared to the previous year.

It further highlighted the need for sustained funding and support to ensure that contaminated States parties can meet their clearance obligations.

“States that have joined the convention face ongoing challenges in clearing land contaminated by cluster munition remnants due to limited funding and capacities and difficulties in accessing contaminated areas because of security issues or challenging terrain,” said Katrin Atkins, editor for contamination, clearance and risk education reporting in the Cluster Munition Monitor.

Major milestone

In August 2023, Bosnia and Herzegovina became the ninth State party to complete clearance of cluster munition contaminated areas, in accordance with the obligations set by the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The convention reached a major milestone last December when Peru completed the destruction of its stockpiled cluster munitions, becoming the last State party to complete this obligation.

That means States parties have now collectively destroyed 100 per cent of their declared cluster munition stocks, destroying 1.49 million cluster munitions and 179 million submunitions.

New trends unfolding

However, alarming developments are unfolding, Ms. Atkins explained.

“In many affected States parties, more contaminated areas are discovered even as the known ones are cleared,” she said.

In addition, Lithuania enacted a law in July 2024 approving its withdrawal from the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The withdrawal will take effect six months after Lithuania fulfils the steps for withdrawal required by the convention unless the country retracts this measure or is engaged in armed conflict.

FAST FACTS

Here are some highlights from the latest Cluster Munition Monitor:

- An annual resolution in the UN General Assembly promoting the Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted in December 2023 by 148 states, including 37 non-signatories. Russia was the only country to vote against it.

- New casualties from cluster munitions were recorded in 2023 in nine countries: Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

- Of the total 219 reported casualties in 2023, 118 were the result of cluster munition attacks while 101 were caused by cluster munition remnants.

- Only 10 States parties to the convention are retaining live cluster munitions for permitted research and training purposes, of which Germany has the highest number.

- Contaminated States parties reported the clearance of 83.91 km² of cluster munition contaminated land during 2023, resulting in the destruction of at least 73,348 cluster munition remnants, primarily unexploded submunitions and unexploded bomblets.

- There is evidence of new cluster munition production in India, Myanmar, Russia and the Republic of Korea during the reporting period.

- Between July 2023 and April 2024, President Joe Biden approved five transfers to Ukraine of US cluster munitions delivered by 155mm artillery projectiles and by ballistic missiles.

- 33 States parties have specific implementation laws for the convention.

- Another 22 States parties are planning or are in the process of drafting, reviewing or adopting specific legislative measures to implement the convention, while 43 States parties regard their existing laws and regulations as sufficient.

Two mothers killed each hour in Gaza conflict: UN Women

Details: Written by northsouth; Category: News-Reports-Studies; Published: 20 January 2024; Hits: 554

THE UNITED NATIONS - Women and children account for roughly 70 per cent of people killed in the war in Gaza, with two mothers killed every hour since hostilities erupted more than 100 days ago, according to a UN Women report published on Friday.

The report examines the gendered impact of the conflict, which has left more than 23,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gazan health authorities, about 16,000 of whom are women or children.

Failure and trauma

“We have seen evidenced once more that women and children are the first victims of conflict and that our duty to seek peace is a duty to them. We are failing them,” UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said in a statement issued alongside the report.

“That failure, and the generational trauma inflicted on the Palestinian people over these 100 days and counting, will haunt all of us for generations to come,” she warned.

UN Women also reiterated deep concern over the accounts of unconscionable sexual violence and other gender-based violence during the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on 7 October that sparked the conflict.

The agency called for accountability, justice and support for all those affected and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

‘Impossible decisions’

UN Women said the Gaza conflict “is fundamentally a protection crisis for women” at a time when nowhere in the enclave is safe.

Of the 1.9 million people now displaced, close to a million are women and girls, and the “impossible decisions” they have to make regarding whether to evacuate – when and how as well as where to go – “are entrenched with gender differentiated fears and experiences", given risks of attacks and harassment while on the move.

UN Women further estimated that at least 3,000 women may have become widows and heads of households, and at least 10,000 children may now be fatherless. As a result, more women fear families will resort to desperate coping mechanisms such as early marriage.

Meanwhile, women’s rights organizations continue to operate amidst the crisis. In November, UN Women conducted a rapid survey of 12 women-led organizations and one youth-led group which found that most – 83 per cent – were at least partially operating, focused mainly on the emergency response.

However, less than one per cent of funding under the 2023 Flash Appeal for Gaza has directly gone to women’s groups.

Staying the course

The report is part of UN Women’s six-month response plan for Gaza, which includes providing emergency food assistance to over 14,000 female-headed households and supporting the distribution of items requested by women on the ground such as clothing, sanitary products and baby formula.

The agency is also partnering with women-led organizations to deliver gender responsive services for gender-based violence, establishing women-led protection and response committees in shelters and convening regular consultations with women’s organizations to discuss the challenges they face.

Global Wealth Report 2023: Rich and poor see drop in wealth

Details: Written by northsouth; Category: News-Reports-Studies; Published: 18 August 2023; Hits: 617

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - How has global household wealth developed in 2022? What are the projections for the years ahead? Find out with the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on global household wealth.

Key findings

- Measured in current nominal USD, total net private wealth fell by USD 11.3 trillion
(–2.4%) to USD 454.4 trillion at the end of 2022.

- Wealth per adult also declined by USD 3,198 (–3.6%) to reach USD 84,718 per adult at the end of the year.

- Much of this decline comes from the appreciation of the US dollar against many other currencies.

- Financial assets contributed most to wealth declines in 2022 while non-financial assets (mostly real estate) stayed resilient, despite rapidly rising interest rates.

- The loss of global wealth was heavily concentrated in wealthier regions such as North America and Europe, which together shed USD 10.9 trillion.

- Asia Pacific recorded losses of USD 2.1 trillion, while Latin America is the outlier with a total wealth increase of USD 2.4 trillion, helped by an average 6% currency appreciation against the US dollar.

- Heading the list of losses in country terms in 2022 is the United States, followed by Japan, China, Canada and Australia.

- The largest wealth increases were recorded for Russia, Mexico, India and Brazil.

- Along with the decline in aggregate wealth, overall wealth inequality also fell in 2022, with the wealth share of the global top 1% falling to 44.5%.

- The number of USD millionaires worldwide fell by 3.5 million during 2022 to 59.4 million. This figure does not, however, take into account 4.4 million “inflation millionaires” who would no longer qualify if the millionaire threshold were adjusted for inflation in 2022.

- Global median wealth, arguably a more meaningful indicator of how the typical person is faring, did in fact increase by 3% in 2022 in contrast to the 3.6% fall in wealth per adult.

- For the world as a whole, median wealth has increased five-fold this century at roughly double the pace of wealth per adult, largely due to the rapid wealth growth in China.

- Global wealth is expected to rise by 38% over the next five years, reaching USD 629 trillion by 2027.

- Growth by middle-income countries will be the primary driver of global trends.

- The authors estimate wealth per adult to reach USD 110,270 in 2027 and the number of millionaires to reach 86 million while the number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) is likely to rise to 372,000 individuals.

For the full report, visit: https://www.ubs.com/global/en/family-office-uhnw/reports/global-wealth-report-2023.html#executive

World military expenditure reaches new record

Details: Written by northsouth; Category: News-Reports-Studies; Published: 25 April 2023; Hits: 659

STOCKHOLM - Total global military expenditure increased by 3.7 per cent in real terms in 2022, to reach a new high of $2240 billion. Military expenditure in Europe saw its steepest year-on-year increase in at least 30 years. The three largest spenders in 2022—the United States, China and Russia—accounted for 56 per cent of the world total, according to new data on global military spending published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Invasion of Ukraine and tensions in East Asia drive increased spending

World military spending grew for the eighth consecutive year in 2022 to an all-time high of $2240 billion. By far the sharpest rise in spending (+13 per cent) was seen in Europe and was largely accounted for by Russian and Ukrainian spending. However, military aid to Ukraine and concerns about a heightened threat from Russia strongly influenced many other states’ spending decisions, as did tensions in East Asia.

‘The continuous rise in global military expenditure in recent years is a sign that we are living in an increasingly insecure world,’ said Dr Nan Tian, Senior Researcher with SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. ‘States are bolstering military strength in response to a deteriorating security environment, which they do not foresee improving in the near future.’

Cold war levels of military expenditure return to Central and Western Europe

Military expenditure by states in Central and Western Europe totalled $345 billion in 2022. In real terms, spending by these states for the first time surpassed that in 1989, as the cold war was ending, and was 30 per cent higher than in 2013. Several states significantly increased their military spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, while others announced plans to raise spending levels over periods of up to a decade.

‘The invasion of Ukraine had an immediate impact on military spending decisions in Central and Western Europe. This included multi-year plans to boost spending from several governments,’ said Dr Diego Lopes da Silva, Senior Researcher with SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. ‘As a result, we can reasonably expect military expenditure in Central and Western Europe to keep rising in the years ahead.’

Some of the sharpest increases were seen in Finland (+36 per cent), Lithuania (+27 per cent), Sweden (+12 per cent) and Poland (+11 per cent).

‘While the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 certainly affected military spending decisions in 2022, concerns about Russian aggression have been building for much longer,’ said Lorenzo Scarazzato, Researcher with SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. ‘Many former Eastern bloc states have more than doubled their military spending since 2014, the year when Russia annexed Crimea.’

Russia and Ukraine raise military spending as war rages on

Russian military spending grew by an estimated 9.2 per cent in 2022, to around $86.4 billion. This was equivalent to 4.1 per cent of Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, up from 3.7 per cent of GDP in 2021.

Figures released by Russia in late 2022 show that spending on national defence, the largest component of Russian military expenditure, was already 34 per cent higher, in nominal terms, than in budgetary plans drawn up in 2021.

‘The difference between Russia’s budgetary plans and its actual military spending in 2022 suggests the invasion of Ukraine has cost Russia far more than it anticipated,’ said Dr Lucie Béraud-Sudreau, Director of SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme.

Ukraine’s military spending reached $44.0 billion in 2022. At 640 per cent, this was the highest single-year increase in a country’s military expenditure ever recorded in SIPRI data. As a result of the increase and the war-related damage to Ukraine’s economy, the military burden (military spending as a share of GDP) shot up to 34 per cent of GDP in 2022, from 3.2 per cent in 2021.

US spending rises despite high inflation

The United States remains by far the world’s biggest military spender. US military spending reached $877 billion in 2022, which was 39 per cent of total global military spending and three times more than the amount spent by China, the world’s second largest spender. The 0.7 per cent real-terms increase in US spending in 2022 would have been even greater had it not been for the highest levels of inflation since 1981.

‘The increase in the USA’s military spending in 2022 was largely accounted for by the unprecedented level of financial military aid it provided to Ukraine,’ said Dr Nan Tian, SIPRI Senior Researcher. ‘Given the scale of US spending, even a minor increase in percentage terms has a significant impact on the level of global military expenditure.’

US financial military aid to Ukraine totalled $19.9 billion in 2022. Although this was the largest amount of military aid given by any country to a single beneficiary in any year since the cold war, it represented only 2.3 per cent of total US military spending. In 2022 the USA allocated $295 billion to military operations and maintenance, $264 billion to procurement and research and development, and $167 billion to military personnel.

China and Japan lead continued spending increase in Asia and Oceania

The combined military expenditure of countries in Asia and Oceania was $575 billion. This was 2.7 per cent more than in 2021 and 45 per cent more than in 2013, continuing an uninterrupted upward trend dating back to at least 1989.

China remained the world’s second largest military spender, allocating an estimated $292 billion in 2022. This was 4.2 per cent more than in 2021 and 63 per cent more than in 2013. China’s military expenditure has increased for 28 consecutive years.

Japan’s military spending increased by 5.9 per cent between 2021 and 2022, reaching $46.0 billion, or 1.1 per cent of GDP. This was the highest level of Japanese military spending since 1960. A new national security strategy published in 2022 sets out ambitious plans to increase Japan’s military capability over the coming decade in response to perceived growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

‘Japan is undergoing a profound shift in its military policy,’ said Xiao Liang, Researcher with SIPRI’s Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. ‘The post-war restraints Japan imposed on its military spending and military capabilities seem to be loosening.’

Other notable developments:

- The real-terms increase in world military spending in 2022 was slowed by the effects of inflation, which in many countries soared to levels not seen for decades. In nominal terms (i.e. in current prices without adjusting for inflation), the global total increased by 6.5 per cent.

- India’s military spending of $81.4 billion was the fourth highest in the world. It was 6.0 per cent more than in 2021.

- In 2022 military spending by Saudi Arabia, the fifth biggest military spender, rose by 16 per cent to reach an estimated $75.0 billion, its first increase since 2018.

- Nigeria’s military spending fell by 38 per cent to $3.1 billion, after a 56 per cent increase in spending in 2021.

- Military spending by NATO members totalled $1232 billion in 2022, which was 0.9 per cent higher than in 2021.

- The United Kingdom had the highest military spending in Central and Western Europe at $68.5 billion, of which an estimated $2.5 billion (3.6 per cent) was financial military aid to Ukraine.

- In 2022 Türkiye’s military spending fell for the third year in a row, reaching $10.6 billion—a decrease of 26 per cent from 2021.

- Ethiopia’s military spending rose by 88 per cent in 2022, to reach $1.0 billion. The increase coincided with a renewed government offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in the north of the country.

For the full publication, visit: https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/2304_fs_milex_2022.pdf