Why did the Convention on Cluster Munitions seek to ban cluster bombs?

The Convention on Cluster Munitions was established to ban cluster bombs primarily due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-term humanitarian threat posed by unexploded ordnance (UXO).1

Cluster munitions scatter dozens or hundreds of submunitions over a wide area, often failing to detonate upon deployment. These "duds" remain on the ground as volatile, persistent explosive hazards, functioning similarly to land mines but with higher explosive yields that make accidental detonation significantly more likely to result in fatalities.1

Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the International Committee of the Red Cross, advocated for the treaty after observing the high rate of post-combat casualties caused by these weapons, such as during the Kosovo conflict. By prohibiting the manufacture, transfer, and use of these weapons, the international community affirmed the ethical principle that weapons causing excessive, indiscriminate harm to civilians long after a conflict has ended must be eliminated.1