From the BBC:

An international conference is due to open in Norway aimed at banning the use of cluster bombs, despite the non attendance of the US, Russia and China.

The 48-nation meeting has been called by Norway after arms talks in Geneva last November failed to achieve progress towards a ban.

Cluster bombs usually consist of a large shell containing many small bombs that can cover a wide area.

Some fail to explode and endanger civilians years after conflicts end.

The UN estimates that Israel dropped up to four million cluster bomblets in southern Lebanon during last year's war.