GS II-International Agreement
Context:
Lithuania withdrew from the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), citing security concerns, drawing global criticism.
About the CCM:
- Adopted: 2008 | Came into force: 2010
- Prohibits:
- Use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs.
- Membership:
- 112 state parties + 12 signatories.
- Non-signatories: Russia, Ukraine, India.
About Cluster Bombs:
- Function: Releases multiple smaller bomblets over a wide area.
- Delivery Methods: Dropped from aircraft, fired from artillery, or missile-launched.
- Concerns: High failure rate, leaving unexploded ordnance (UXO), posing long-term risks to civilians.
Reasons for Lithuania’s Withdrawal:
- Security Concerns:
- Fears Russian aggression, especially after Ukraine’s invasion.
- Strengthening Defenses:
- Wants to maintain access to cluster munitions as a deterrence tool.
- Regional Security Shifts:
- Finland also reconsidering anti-personnel landmine use.
Criticism & Humanitarian Concerns:
Civilian Risk: Unexploded bomblets endanger civilians for decades.
Potential Trend: Could trigger other nations to withdraw from disarmament treaties.
Lithuania’s Future Disarmament Policies:
- Possible Exit from Landmine Ban: Considering withdrawal from 1997 Anti-Personnel Landmine Convention.
- Mitigation Plans: Plans to clear unexploded ordnance to minimize civilian harm.
Lithuania’s Strategic Position:
- Geopolitical Location: Baltic state in Northern Europe, gained independence from the USSR in 1990.
- NATO & EU Member: Increased defense spending post Russia’s 2014 Crimea annexation & 2022 Ukraine invasion.
- Military Policy Shift: Prioritizing deterrence over humanitarian disarmament amid rising threats.