Stefania Bianchi
BRUSSELS, Apr 7 (IPS) <snip>
A consortium of civil society groups, made up of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Belgium-based non-governmental organisations Handicap International and Netwerk Vlaanderen say the international community must halt the production, sale and use of such weapons, which they say harm hundreds of innocent civilians each year. <snip>
The non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say that 33 countries, including Britain, the United States, Belgium, Canada, France and Germany have produced more than 210 different types of cluster munitions, while at least 70 countries stockpile the weapons. The United States alone has a stockpile of more than a billion submunitions, they say.
HRW says over 85 companies have produced cluster munitions or their key components, and of these 59 are still producing these weapons. The group says nearly half of these companies are based in Europe, and eight in the United States. Some of the better known producers include BAE Systems, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace and European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS). <snip>
Last year Netwerk Vlaanderen released a report revealing that the five largest banks in Belgium (AXA, DEXIA, FORTIS, ING and KBC) have a combined investment of 1.5 billion dollars in 11 international weapon producing companies, including producers of cluster munitions. <snip>
http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=28201
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