THE IRISH delegation attending the international conference on cluster bombs last night said it was "quietly confident" that agreement would be reached by Friday on an "ambitious treaty" banning cluster bombs and ridding the vast majority of stocks of cluster munitions.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the main issues outstanding related to the definition of a cluster bomb and the provisions for military co-operation with states not party to the convention, and the issue of transition periods for phasing out the use of cluster munitions.
The conference is being attended by representatives from 109 countries including Britain, Australia, South Africa and Japan, as well as by representatives of the United Nations, the International Red Cross and Human Rights Watch.
Tonight, Chris Clark, head of the UN's cluster munitions clearance operations in Lebanon, will present a film night in Temple Bar's Filmbase.
The Deadly Playground film night will include film screenings and a panel debate about the impact of cluster munitions in Lebanon.
