A CLUSTER-BOMB survivor of the Balkan wars, Branislav Kapetanovic, has accepted the Tipperary International Peace Award.
Branislav Kapetanovic accepted the award on behalf of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) in recognition of its successful five-year campaign to outlaw cluster bombs. He was honoured at a ceremony held to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tipperary Peace Convention Award, whose former winners include Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Benazir Bhutto.
The ceremony was attended by Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin and by ambassadors or their representatives from over 12 countries including officials from the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Representatives of An Garda Síochána, the Army, the Naval Service, Trócaire, Goal and Unicef also attended.
The recipient, who lost his legs and arms in 1999 during the Nato strikes to free Kosovo, said that the convention on cluster munitions should be fully implemented and respected by all.
“We are only now beginning the really challenging work with respect to cluster munitions” said Mr Kapetanovi.
Mr Martin paid personal tribute to Mr Kapetanovic and his fellow ban advocates who bore witness to the impact of cluster munitions. “Their indomitable spirit has inspired us all,” he said.
The Minister praised the major contribution of the CMC, representing over 300 NGOs around the world, to securing adoption in Dublin last May of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
He also acknowledged the role of the Irish Defence Forces and development agencies in highlighting the devastating effect of the weapons through their eyewitness accounts.
The Minister said he looked forward to the convention helping stigmatise the weapon, so that even states which do not become party to it will be inhibited from using cluster bombs.