Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-11-20-Speech-4-211"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20081120.23.4-211"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
".
The British Conservative Delegation voted for this resolution as a straightforward endorsement of the recently negotiated UN Convention on Cluster Munitions. We believe that the Convention has successfully combined principled and practical humanitarianism with appreciation of the military requirements of responsible armed forces.
We have consistently held the view that an indiscriminate ban on the use of all types of cluster munition would negatively affect the operational effectiveness of our armed forces. We therefore draw special attention to the clearly defined exemption in the Convention for the next generation of “smarter” munitions which are designed to self destruct and present a minimal risk to civilians. The British Ministry of Defence is currently developing a munition that falls within the terms of this exemption.
In general, we believe it is important to maintain a sense of proportion in relation to risk management by our armed forces. While the British Armed Forces always seek to minimise harm to the civil population and limit collateral damage we should never lose sight of the fact that we are fighting terrorist and insurgent elements totally without scruples in the methods they employ for the indiscriminate destruction of innocent human life. It is these elements that should be the target of our ire."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples