Summary: Non-signatory Qatar has not made a public statement detailing its position on accession to the convention. It abstained from voting on a UN resolution on the convention in December 2015. Qatar has participated as an observer in all of the convention’s meetings, including the First Review Conference in September 2015. Qatar has condemned the use of cluster munitions in Syria. Qatar is not known to have used, produced, or exported cluster munitions, but it has imported them and has a stockpile.

Policy

The State of Qatar has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Qatar has not made a public statement expressing its views on cluster munitions or its position on joining the convention.[1]

On 7 December 2015, Qatar abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which urges states outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.”[2] Qatar did not explain why it abstained on the non-binding resolution, which 140 countries voted for, including many non-signatories.

Qatar participated in the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions and joined in its consensus adoption in Dublin in May 2008. Yet Qatar attended the Signing Conference in Oslo in December 2008 only as an observer and did not sign the convention.[3]

Qatar participated as an observer in the convention’s First Review Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2015. It has attended every Meeting of States Parties of the convention and an intersessional meeting in Geneva in 2013. Qatar did not make any statements at these meetings. Qatar voted in favor of a UNGA resolution in December 2015, which expressed outrage at the continued use of cluster munitions in Syria.[4] Qatar has voted for Human Rights Council resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in October 2015.[5]

Previously, in October 2012, Qatar said it was “appalled” that the Syrian government had “used advanced weapons and cluster munitions against its own people.”[6]

Qatar is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is also party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In September 2011, a government representative informed the Monitor that Qatar has never used or exported cluster munitions.[7] Qatar is not known to have produced cluster munitions.

In September 2013, a Ministry of Defense representative confirmed to the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) that Qatar possesses a stockpile of cluster munitions, which have been used in training.[8] Qatar has acquired Astros rockets with cluster munition warheads from Brazil.[9]

Qatar has participated in a Saudi Arabia-led coalition operation against Houthi forces (Ansar Allah) in Yemen since 25 March 2015.[10] Qatar has not commented on the coalition’s use of cluster munitions in Yemen, including its use of Astros cluster munition rockets.[11]

Foreign stockpiling

According to a US diplomatic cable dated 26 November 2008 and released by Wikileaks in 2011, the US Armed Forces stored cluster munitions in Qatar. The cable states, “The U.S. stores cluster munitions in Qatar. Post reports that it is unknown whether Qatar is aware that U.S. cluster munitions are stored there. Post suspects that if Qatar does sign the treaty, the Qataris would want to ensure no cluster munitions are stored there, though to Post’s knowledge this is not something the U.S. has ever discussed with Doha. The U.S. would need to make a direct inquiry to determine if Qatar is going to sign and to discover Qatari intentions. Post anticipates Qatar would request removal of cluster munitions if Qatar signed and were aware of U.S. stocks.”[12]