Overview

The Third Review Conference of the States Parties to CCW(Geneva, 7 - 17 November 2006) decided to convene, as a matter of urgency, anintersessional meeting of governmental experts to consider further the application and implementation of existing international humanitarian law to specific munitions that may cause explosive remnants of war, with particular focus on cluster munitions, including the factors affecting their reliability and their technical and design characteristics, with a view to minimizing the humanitarian impact of the use of these munitions.

It further decided that this meeting of governmental experts would, inter alia, consider the results of the ICRC meeting of experts on cluster munitions (Montreux, April 2007). The meeting of governmental experts had to report to the 2007 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties (Geneva, 7 - 13 November 2007).

The Conference also decided that the Meetings of Military and Technical Experts of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) should continue their technical work and provide further advice, as required.