Are cluster bombs banned under the Geneva Convention? Controversial history explored 

The topic of cluster bombs appeared to be trending online for a few days following the United States' confirmation that it will supply the deadly weapon to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.

Last week, on Friday, July 7, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that following months of debate within the Biden administration, they have decided to provide Kyiv with the controversial weapons banned by over 100 countries.

Following the announcement, the move was criticized by human rights groups as the extremely volatile weapon holds a historical record of killing civilians. Its volatility prompted the Geneva Convention to ban the use of cluster bombs.

In 2010, 123 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, signed an international treaty - the Convention on Cluster Munitions - outlawing the use of the weapon. However, The United States, Ukraine, and Russia are not part of the convention treaty.

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What are cluster bombs or cluster munitions?

Cluster bombs or munitions are canisters encumbered with several tiny bomblets that can be dropped from aircraft or fired using a rocket, missile or artillery shell. After the bomb is launched, they break open at a prescribed height and scatter over a wide area resembling several football stadiums.

Shortly after, tens of hundreds of tiny bomblets explode on impact on the ground. While several bomblets do explode, hitting the intended target, a significant proportion don’t. They instead lie dormant in the area for years, creating a deadly minefield for unsuspecting civilians who might stumble upon them in the future.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, between 10% to 40% of the munitions fail to detonate on impact. The undetonated bomblets are notorious for exploding during civilian activity years later.

The United States dropped 270 million cluster bombs on Laos between 1964 and 1973. Per several human rights groups, deadly cluster bomblets still lie dormant in Laos and Vietnam 50 years after they were deployed.

The human cost of the volatile weapon prompted the Geneva Convention to ban its use. While the US is not part of the convention treaty, it tried to phase them out in 2016.

While the weapon in question has not been used in recent years, the war between Russia and Ukraine saw a significant increase in its use.

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Biden administration defends its decision to supply cluster bombs to Ukraine

Shortly after the US agreed to supply Cluster bombs to Ukraine, UK PM Rishi Sunak condemned the move alongside Spain and Canada, who are part of the 123 countries bound by the convention treaty banning the use of the deadly weapon. On Saturday, Sunak said:

“ [The UK is] signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use. We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we've done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully, all countries can continue to support Ukraine."

On Sunday, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told ABC, that they stand by their decision to supply the weapon to Ukraine:

“While Russia is using them in Ukraine in an aggressive war on another country and indiscriminately killing civilians, the Ukrainians will be using these cluster munitions which have a very low dud rate, but they’ll be using them to defend their own territory hitting Russian positions.”

Kirby further added:

“We can all agree that more civilians have been and will continue to be killed by Russian forces with whether it’s cluster munitions drones, missile attacks, or just frontal assaults, then will likely be hurt by the use of these cluster munitions fired at Russian positions inside Ukrainian territory.”

Per a recent report in Washington Post, President Joe Biden, who has raised ethical questions pertaining to the use of cluster bombs in the past, has historically supported its military significance.