Human Rights advocacy
Ban on cluster munitions
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Human Rights Watch |
Eighty-two nations endorsed a strongly worded draft treaty on cluster munitions, moving the world closer to a ban on weapons that cause horrific civilian casualties, Human Rights Watch said today at the end of a week of diplomatic talks in Wellington, New Zealand. The push for a comprehensive ban on clusters, which harm civilians during and after conflict, came despite efforts to water down the text by a handful of states with stockpiles of the weapon.
More than 100 states attended the Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions from February 18-22, 2008 to discuss a draft treaty prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling, and trade of cluster munitions. Eighty-two endorsed the Wellington Declaration, which commits states to participate in the formal negotiations in Dublin, Ireland, from May 19-30, and to conduct the negotiations on the basis of the text developed in Wellington. Others are expected to endorse the declaration ahead of the Dublin meeting.
"It was heartening to see so many governments determined to create a cluster munitions treaty that will make a real difference in saving civilian lives and limbs," said Steve Goose, director of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch. "All proposals to weaken the draft treaty most notably by Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom were rejected." However, it is expected that the proposals will be re-considered at the Dublin negotiations and Human Rights Watch urged participants to hold fast to the Wellington text and ensure the creation of an effective treaty.
Cluster munitions are large weapons that release dozens or hundreds of smaller sub-munitions. Air-dropped or ground-launched, they cause two major humanitarian problems. First, their wide-area effect virtually guarantees civilian casualties when they are used in populated areas. Second, many of the sub-munitions do not explode on impact as designed but lie around like landmines, causing civilian casualties for months or years to come.
One year ago in Oslo, Norway, 46 states agreed to conclude a treaty by the end of 2008 that bans cluster munitions "that cause unacceptable harm to civilians." The treaty was then developed and discussed in subsequent international meetings in Peru and Austria, as well as regional meetings in Cambodia, Costa Rica, Serbia, and Belgium. "The Wellington draft treaty is an excellent basis for negotiations," said Goose. "The agreement to send it on to Dublin for final negotiation without watering it down is a victory for those who want an end to the civilian harm caused by cluster munitions."
In addition to the ban, the treaty also includes provisions requiring clearance of contaminated areas and assistance to victims. States affected by clusters, particularly Cambodia, Laos, and Lebanon, spoke out strongly in favour of the Wellington text, as did others in the developing world, notably Indonesia. About 140 representatives of nongovernmental organizations from 34 countries participated, with particularly compelling testimony provided by cluster munitions survivors.
The attempts to weaken the treaty came in three main issues: efforts to exempt certain types of cluster munitions or technologies from the ban altogether; to have a "transition period" in which the banned weapons could still be used, and to delete or gut a provision that prohibits states from "assisting" with the use of cluster munitions by armed forces that are not part of the treaty (so-called "interoperability" concerns). Some states also pushed to delete a provision that calls on user states to help with the clearance of cluster munitions from conflicts that pre-date the treaty. The most objectionable proposals for exceptions were put forward by France, Germany, Japan, and Switzerland; for a transition period by Germany and Japan (with notable support from the United Kingdom); and for interoperability by Canada, Germany, and Japan (with notable support from Australia). Other states vocal in their support of provisions to weaken the treaty included the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden.
Despite the fact that none of these proposals were included in the final draft treaty text, all of these states decided to endorse the Wellington Declaration and to participate fully in the Dublin negotiations. Until the last moment, it appeared many would refuse to endorse, and would walk away, as some had privately threatened to do. On the positive side, there was notable movement in the right direction in many of these countries on these and other issues during the course of the week, giving confidence that a strong treaty will emerge from Dublin. Although many of the main users of cluster munitions, such as Israel, the United States, and Russia, did not attend the conference, 75 percent of the world's cluster munitions stockpilers were present, and most of the producers and past users.
The treaty process was sparked in part by the recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. As documented in a Human Rights Watch report released earlier this week, Israel dropped an alarming 4.6 million sub-munitions on southern Lebanon during the fighting. Up to 1 million duds failed to explode and remained on the ground as de facto landmines, threatening the lives and livelihoods of civilians.
At least 14 countries and a small number of non-state armed groups have used cluster munitions in at least 30 countries and areas. Thirty-four countries are known to have produced more than 210 different types of air-dropped and surface-launched cluster munitions. At least 13 countries have transferred more than 50 types of cluster munitions to at least 60 countries.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Skill and awareness needed for safe migration of female workers
Sayeeda Islam Mita
Shahana Akhter, 26, works in a garment factory in Dubai. She migrated to the UAE in 2005. In September last year, Shahana had come home on a three-month leave and then returned to Dubai with a very heavy heart.
“No one will understand how hard it is to be abroad leaving behind the husband and the children. But, I have to do this only to support my family,” said Shahana prior to her departure.
Thousands of women like Shahana are leading a hard life abroad for the sake of their families. The remittances they send back home not only help their families, but also help boost the national economy. The contribution of these female expatriate workers to the country's socio-economic development is very significant.
It is possible to export more female workers abroad if their safe migration can be ensured in addition to creating more skilled women workers.
There is no specific information as to when female workers began migrating to various countries in search of jobs. But government statistics show that it mainly got a boost in the 90s.
According to Bangladesh Manpower Employment and Training Bureau (BMET), the number of female workers in different countries was 74,074 as of August 2007. Of them, 54,835 left the country in the last three and half years.
“Besides, there are many female workers working abroad who have not been included in the statistics,” says a senior BMET official.
According to him, the government has only issued licences to seven recruiting agencies for sending women workers abroad. But reports have it that many unauthorised agencies send female workers abroad.
A figure shows once female workers accounted for only one percent among the total expatriate workers, but now the figure stands at six percent.
Besides, a significant number of women are going abroad seeking jobs through middlemen. There are also instances that the brokers smuggle out the women workers taking advantage of their ignorance. Many women even lose everything being victims of the touts.
Minu Begum (not her real name) of Chandpur is one of them. After a hell lot of troubles, she collected Tk 58,000 and gave it to a broker who promised to provide her a job of domestic worker in Dubai. Once landed in Dubai, Minu could realise that she fell prey to human smugglers. Having suffered untold miseries for a long time, she came back home with the help of police.
Bangladesh Women Lawyers' Association councilor Dipti Ball says, “The trafficking of women will continue if their safe migration cannot be ensured. Though many women from Bangladesh go abroad for selling labour, they literally get smuggled due to lack of information about the type of job and lack of knowledge about migration law.”
She also says the government should firmly enforce the related law apart from being more cordial in dealing with the problems facing women workers both at home and abroad. The government should have all the information as to who went where and when. And, the Bangladeshi missions in relevant countries should also have all these information so that they can provide necessary assistance to the workers in need.
Female workers going abroad illegally are not the ones subject to cheating. Many of those going legally also fall victim to cheating. On many occasions, it is seen that women are not provided with jobs they are promised of. Rather, they are forced to take up other works.
For instance, Monwara Akhter, 28, was promised a job of tailoring in Dubai. But, she was given a domestic job where she was forced to work inhumanly. Having failed to endure the misery, she returned home only after 18 days with many nightmares. “Now I'm ready to die of starvation in my own country. But, I'll never ever go abroad in search of a job,” says Monwara, now working in a garment factory.
The Middle East has been the destination for most of the female workers. These days some are flying for a few Asian countries. Even though in tiny number, some are now also going to Europe. Most of these migrated workers are engaged in domestic works. The number of workers in garment and other sectors is gradually increasing.
Female workers can be divided into three categories -- skilled, semiskilled and unskilled. Among the expatriate female workers, the number of skilled and semiskilled workers is higher. Most of the expatriate females fall into skilled and semiskilled categories. Female workers, who are almost illiterate, face problems regarding language and in using modern technologies, resulting in many unwarranted incidents, including torture.
The expatriate female workers are mainly harassed for issues relating to working extra hours, non-payment of wages, irregular payments and inadequate food. There are even allegations of sexual harassments.
But those involved in sending female workers abroad claim the trend of harassing the workers is continuing to fall. “The increasing number of female workers going abroad is the proof of that,” says Samiha Huda, national programme officer of a migration-related NGO.
According to concerned officials, there is a huge demand of Bangladeshi female workers in different professions, especially in domestic works, in Europe, the USA and the Middle East, but the problem is that they are not trained enough. So, they are lagging behind the workers from other countries.
A few NGOs and private organisations, however, have come forward to address the issues, but it's too inadequate to fulfil the needs. In government sector, there is one training centre in Mirpur and six such centres have been set up at the divisional level too, but those are yet to start their activities.
Rabeya Islam, chairperson of Handicraft Workers Welfare Association, says, “Time has changed. Now, along with males, women are also intent to work overseas. But, they can't for lack of necessary support and information. The rate of female migration will increase if the government can make arrangements to provide them with soft loans.”
General secretary of Bangladeshi Migrant Women Workers' Association Sheikh Rumana worked for seven years in Malaysia where she saw for herself the adversities faced by expatriate female workers. Emphasising the need for skill development and raising awareness of female workers, she says, “A little bit of training can make a big difference. And, the level of harassment will also decrease if they can improve their skills.”
- News Network
