Friday, at a ceremony in Dublin, about 111 countries agreed to ban the use of cluster bombs respecting, by that, the international treaty which was described by human rights workers as a “monumental achievement,” reported Aljazeera.net.

Among the countries which have agreed to respect the international convention were Britain, Australia and Norway.

Signatories have vowed to interdict the use, manufacture, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions, help victims and clear contaminated areas. The agreement regarding the conditions of the treaty came after about 10 days of negotiations.

The signatories also have to get rid of the stockpiles of cluster munitions within 8 years.

The cluster bombs have to be banned because they represent a long term threat for civilians. Cluster munitions scatter into 650 smaller bombs which spread over a very large area. Most of the bombs do not detonate, but continue to remain very dangerous even after the conflict has ended.

Most of the victims are children.

It was expected that the US, Israel, Pakistan, China and Russia, who are the great producers of these bombs, would refuse to ban them.

According to the Telegraph.co.uk, the artillery-fired M85 cluster bomb killed 200 civilians in 2006 when it was used by Israel in Lebanon.

The ban is expected to be signed in Oslo in December.