The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) Women Network-Nigeria (IANSAWNN) has called for grassroots and gender-inclusive approaches to strengthen the implementation of international disarmament treaties. The network emphasises that this strategy is essential for addressing victims’ needs and ensuring policies effectively reach those most affected, especially in conflict and post-conflict zones.
In a statement signed by its coordinator, Dr. Mimidoo Achakpa, the network—an Nigerian-based non-governmental organisation that works to address the proliferation and misuse of small arms and their impact on women and children—highlighted the vital role of civil society organisations like theirs in bridging the gap between high-level treaty commitments and on-the-ground realities.
According to the statement, these organisations are vital for tasks such as mine clearance, victim assistance, legal reforms, and public awareness campaigns. AINSAWNN considers Nigeria’s collaborative model of state leadership and civil society activism a strong example for other African nations on how to not only ratify but also domestically implement and promote humanitarian disarmament norms.
“Civil society actors like IANSAWNN help bridge gaps between treaty obligations and on-the-ground realities—especially in conflict or post-conflict settings where clearance, victim assistance, legal reforms, and awareness raising are needed,” the statement read.
The call from AINSAWNN comes as the Cluster Munition Monitor 2025 report reveals both significant progress and urgent challenges in the global effort to eliminate these indiscriminate weapons.
In 2024, States Parties to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions destroyed more remnants than in the previous five years, releasing over 100 km² of land for civilian use. To date, nearly 1.5 million cluster munitions have been destroyed, and no State Party has used, acquired, or transferred them since joining the treaty.
Despite these successes, the report highlights concerning setbacks. Lithuania’s unprecedented withdrawal from the treaty in March 2025 marked the first time a state has left a humanitarian disarmament treaty. Additionally, ongoing use by non-signatory states, including Russia, Ukraine, and Myanmar, continues to result in devastating civilian casualties. The report also underscores the contentious transfer of cluster munitions from the U.S. to Ukraine, which undermines the treaty’s credibility.
The report recognises Nigeria as a prominent African supporter of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The country has promoted the widespread adoption of the treaty across Africa, utilising platforms like ECOWAS and the African Union to encourage other nations to join; pushed for stronger commitments to victim assistance, prioritising survivor needs in disarmament discussions; contributed to demining and mine action initiatives throughout the continent, and served as a key bridge-builder in international forums, representing the concerns of conflict-affected communities and emphasising Africa’s stake in upholding humanitarian norms.
“Nigeria’s combined state leadership and civil society activism represent a valuable model in Africa for how the convention’s norms can be upheld not only through ratification, but through domestic implementation, advocacy, and support for survivors,” the statement affirmed.
As the September 2025 Meeting of States Parties begins in Geneva, Nigeria’s leadership will be vital in tackling challenges such as Lithuania’s withdrawal and reinforcing the treaty’s credibility.
The Path Forward.
Tamar Gabelnick, Director of the Cluster Munition Coalition, stated that while a world free of cluster munitions is within reach, it will only be possible if “champions like Nigeria stand firm in defending humanitarian principles and continue pushing for universal adherence to the treaty.”
The report concludes with a renewed call for global commitment: to accelerate the universalisation of the treaty, enhance support for survivors, and resist any erosion of the convention’s core humanitarian achievements.
“Seventeen years after the adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the goal of a cluster munition-free world remains within reach. But this will only be possible if states, including champions like Nigeria, stand firm in defending humanitarian principles and continue pushing for universal adherence to the treaty.”
