New Zealand is to host a major international meeting aimed at building consensus around restricting the use of cluster munitions, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister, Phil Goff announced today.

"The meeting will take place in Wellington from 18 – 22 February 2008 and it is expected to attract delegates from more than 100 countries and around 350 participants from governments, non-governmental organisations and the United Nations", Mr Goff said.

"The humanitarian crisis created by more than one million unexploded cluster munitions left in the wake of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Southern Lebanon last year demands a response on restricting the use of such munitions. New Zealand has been part of a core leadership group of countries working together to develop a new international agreement to prevent such a situation happening again.

"It is good that we have New Zealand Defence Force personnel working in Lebanon alongside other international groups to clean up the unexploded bomblets and prevent hundreds of innocent civilians, especially children, falling victim to these munitions. But we need to deal with the cause of this situation rather than simply responding to the effects.

"It is important to host this conference in the Asia-Pacific region, where people from countries such as Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia still endure the humanitarian impacts of cluster munitions and mines left over from former conflicts. Hosting the conference here will also create the opportunity to draw in new countries from the region to support constraints on the use of cluster munitions.

"In Oslo in February, 46 countries committed themselves to this cause at a meeting in which New Zealand was a co-chair. Meetings in Peru, Austria and then New Zealand will further develop the detail of a legally binding instrument on cluster munitions and seek to increase the number of countries committed to supporting such an instrument", Mr Goff said.