Summary: Non-signatory Latvia says it is in de facto compliance with the convention’s provisions, but it has not taken any steps to accede. Latvia has never participated in a meeting of the convention, even as an observer, and abstained from voting on a key UN General Assembly resolution promoting the convention in December 2017. Latvia states that it has never used, produced, stockpiled, or transferred cluster munitions.

Policy

The Republic of Latvia has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Latvia says it is in de facto compliance with the convention’s provisions, but it has not taken any steps to accede. In a 20 July 2018 letter, Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs told the Cluster Munition Coalition that his country “fully shares the concerns” over the “indiscriminate use of certain cluster munitions” and “supports the objectives” of the ban convention.[1] He went on to state that “the position of the government of Latvia regarding accession to the Convention has not changed.”

Previously, in December 2016, Latvia said it was committed “to act in line” with the provisions of the convention and “fully shares the concerns relating to the disastrous consequences caused by the indiscriminate use of certain cluster munitions.” Latvia drew attention to the need to balance humanitarian concerns raised by cluster munitions with “security concerns and strategic defense considerations.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials have regularly communicated with Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor since 2010.[2] In May 2017, Latvia told the Monitor that its position on accession “has not changed” and committed to “act in line” with the convention’s provisions.[3]

Latvia participated as an observer in a couple of meetings of the Oslo Process that created the convention, including the Dublin negotiations in May 2008 and the Oslo Signing Conference in December 2008.[4]

Latvia has never participated in a meeting of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, even as an observer. It was invited to, but did not attend, the Seventh Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2017.

In December 2017, Latvia abstaining from the vote on a key UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that urgesstates outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.”[5] In 2015 and 2016, Latvia abstained from previous UNGA resolutions promoting implementation and universalization of the convention.

Latvia has voted in favor of Human Rights Council resolutions condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in March 2018.[6] It has also voted in favor of UNGA resolutions expressing outrage at the use of cluster munitions in Syria, most recently in December 2017.[7]

Latvia is a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW).

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In July 2018, Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs told the Cluster Munition Coalition that “Latvia neither produces nor posesses cluster munitions, nor does it store or use them. Furthermore, Latvia currently has no plans to acquire or use this type of munitions in future.”[8]

Latvia has stated several times that it has never used, produced, stockpiled, or transferred cluster munitions.[9]