UN General Assembly
2009

account for 50 per cent of the global total of cluster munitions victims. This is due to the fact that 37 per cent of national territory remains contaminated by UXO. Enormous financial resources would be needed 39 09-52586 to resolve this problem, and it would take a great length of time to clear UXOs from those areas needed most for development and the everyday livelihoods of communities. However, a precise estimate has yet to be made as to how many hundreds of years it would take to clear all UXO-contaminated areas across the country. In light of the adverse impact of cluster munitions, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic attaches great importance to the Convention on banning and eradicating cluster munitions. In this context, we welcome and commend those countries that have signed and ratified the Convention, and hope that other countries that have not done so will follow suit so that Convention may enter into force as soon as possible. In order to prepare for the future implementation of the Convention, the Lao