New Zealand

Two events were held in the New Zealand capital of Wellington to celebrate entry into force.

On 1 August, the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC) kicked off one of the first in a series of events to be held around the world to celebrate entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Wellington musician Sam Manzanza and his colleagues including Tom Scrase (The Thomas Oliver Band), and Navjeevan Singh led off a 40-minute drumming session that kids and adults joined in. The drumming session took place at Capital E in Civic Square, Wellington.

As the ANZCMC coordinator Mary Wareham explained, the drumming was intended to ‘make some noise’ about the fact that from today onwards, cluster bombs are a banned weapon.

After a hot chocolate break, the participants watched a new 20-minute film entitled Cluster Munitions: Banned in New Zealand. Directed by Mary Wareham, edited by James Meikle, and produced by Jamila Homayun the film details New Zealand’s leadership role in creating the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

On 3 August, Hon. Georgina Te Heuheu, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control hosted a parliamentary reception to commemorate entry into force, which concluded with a screening of the short documentary film Cluster Munitions: Banned in New Zealand in the Beehive theater. Countries represented at the event included both members of the convention (Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, South Africa) and states that have not yet joined such as Brazil, the United States, and Viet Nam. Major John Flanagan (retd), former director of the UN Mine Action Service, came up from Blenheim to attend the event and see the film Cluster Munitions: Banned in New Zealand, which he features in together with Hon. Georgina Te Heuheu, Hon. Phil Goff, Ambassador Don MacKay and Mary Wareham.

Following a NZPA wire article, several local media covered entry into force in New Zealand, including the Dominion Post, 2ZB, and Radio Live.

More information can be found on the ANZCMC website here: http://www.banclusterbombs.org.nz
Ms. Mary Wareham, wareham@hrw.org, ANZCMC

ANZCMC EIF Flyer (298KB)

ANZCMC media advisory (309KB)

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