Mr. Speaker, Canada has played a leading role in the establishment and the implementation of the Ottawa convention on anti-personnel mines. Our government was also active in the negotiations of the new Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008 and was pleased to be among the 91 countries that signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions in December 2008.
Preparations are under way to seek ratification of this treaty. Ratification of protocol No. 4 of the convention, which addresses the explosive remnants of war, was approved by cabinet in November 2008. We intend to formally ratify the protocol in the future.