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Humanitarian Mine Action

"Sea change"

Oslo, 23/02/2007: Eva Veble, Head of Humanitarian Mine Action in DanChurchAid reports from the Oslo conference on cluster munitions.

I dream a lot

And I mean a lot. 2 sets of dreams a night would be an average. Daily. Or better nightly. So you can imagine I am beyond dream analysis as there are just too many. Even Freud would get tired of me.

42

But when I woke up today having clearly dreamt of a number 42 (How one dreams of a number will be a separate blog...) I could not help but wonder if this is the number of states that will support the declaration on banning the cluster munitions. Those that have read the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also know that 42 is the ultimate answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, which was definitely adding to my morning confusion and anxiety.

42 out of 49

But I did not dare to say 42 out-loud. Not even to my smoking buddies (one bonds easily in hardship conditions). 42 out of 49 States (Colombia joined us today as the 49th country, probably stuck in Copenhagen airport before) would be me being naive. Some of my colleagues were saying that even 30 would be a success. Talks at dinner yesterday and long after dinner with different delegations were not indicating how great today will be. But a lot of behind the scenes work was done.

Canada, UK, Germany, France, Netherlands (all stockpilers, UK one of the biggest users) declared that they are on board of the Oslo process. Canada makes the statement announcing it first. And then the rest. When UK stated that they are willing to support the declaration we knew we had won. We had won the new process that will by 2008 result in a treaty that bans cluster bombs. The weapon that has a 98% success rate against civilians. The weapon that even some military people call the relic of the cold war. The weapon that is still a disaster in the waiting room, with us preventing the bigger humanitarian catastrophe from happening. And bringing some justice to those that have already fallen victims to the yellow killers.

46 out of 49! 25 % of the world's countries

It was too easy some of us thought. 46 out of 49. (No more dream analysis for me). 25% of world’s countries. Action plan in place. States committing to hosting meetings in Lima, Vienna and Dublin in the next year period. But then again the evidence presented did not leave much choice. Who do we in the end protect? Stockpiles of arms or people? National or human security?

And now we are going out to celebrate. As we just did it. And we will only think about the work that needs to be done to ensure that States now meet their commitment after hangover passes.