GENEVA, September 5, 2008 (AFP) - The Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC) accused the United States Friday of trying, with Denmark's help, to undermine a treaty for a global ban on cluster bombs.

'With the help of Denmark, the United States is now working to have a parallel legal instrument adopted which would effectively legalise continued use of cluster bombs,' said the CMC coordinator, Thomas Nash.

In May observers lauded a landmark treaty agreed by delegates from 111 countries in Dublin to ban the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions by its signatories.

But the agreement lacked the backing of major producers and stockpilers including China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.

Denmark signed the treaty in Dublin, despite seeking amendments beforehand.

'Denmark is falling for the game being played by the USA and partly supported by Russia and China, whose main interest it is to continue using cluster bombs,' Nash said.

'At a time when Denmark should be condemning the use of cluster munitions in Georgia, instead we are helping countries like Russia to continue using the weapons under a fig-leaf of legality.'

The CMC, an umbrella group of non-governmental organisations in 88 countries, warned that Finland and Japan also favour the US initiative, despite signing the treaty in Dublin.

'We appeal to Finland and Japan to not be satisfied with a lower standard' on the munitions ban to the one set out in Dublin, Nash said.

The CMC hopes that the treaty will stigmatise the use of cluster munitions -- as the similar Ottawa Treaty did for landmines -- and stop countries from helping others to use them.

The Dublin agreement will be signed in Oslo on December 2-3. Signatories would then need to ratify it.