Annan's call was echoed during the day by the UN's humanitarian chief, Jan Egland, who demanded an immediate global freeze on cluster munitions.
The UN's calls come a day after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called for a halt to the use of cluster bombs. The ICRC also said it would call a conference in 2007 to discuss a possible new global pact on the bombs.
Cluster bombs contain small pellet explosives that spread over a wide area. They are not banned by any international treaty. Belgium is the only country to have banned their production and use.
Last week, a report from he NGO Handicap International said that 98 percent of all recorded casualties of cluster bombs are civilians.
(AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)