Convention on Cluster Munitions: Interoperability and national legislation – the view of the ICRC

"Interoperability" was an issue that generated considerable debate during the negotiation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). This term refers to the ability of armed forces or other State agents to operate jointly in the performance of a task, mission or operation. Given that the proponents of the CCM sought a strong ban with broad prohibitions on cluster munitions, a number of countries involved in the negotiations expressed concern that their capacity to engage in military cooperation and operations with non-party States, who may possess cluster munitions, would be heavily impacted by the Convention. More specifically, these States were worried that certain activities that occur regularly in combined military operations could potentially violate the Convention's prohibition on assisting, encouraging or inducing activities prohibited by the Convention.