UNA-UK strongly supports the establishment of an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) negotiated at the United Nations.

The treaty would aim to set out legally-binding international principles to govern the trade in conventional arms and set out a practical mechanism for their application.

Since the UN process started in 6 December 2006, approximately 695,000 people have been killed directly by firearms illustrating the urgent need for an ATT.

In December 2009, the General Assembly decided to convene a four-week UN conference in 2012 to elaborate a legally-binding arms trade treaty. Click here to read more about the ATT.

Control Arms coalition

UNA-UK is raising awareness of the importance of establishing an ATT through continued dialogue and campaigning on the issue with other NGOs. To this end UNA-UK is part of the Control Arms coalition which has
Click here to read more about the Control Arms campaign

Lobbying the government

Following the UK co-sponsored a draft General Assembly resolution for negotiations to begin to establish an Arms Trade Treaty at the UN in July 2006, this issue has become a mainstay of UNA-UK's annual lobbying of Parliament.

In September 2006, UNA-UK produced a briefing paper entitled 'Towards an Arms Trade Treaty' that outlined why such a treaty is required and the progree towards its establishment.

On 2 October 2006, UNA-UK’s Chair wrote to the Foreign Secretary urging British Government support for the adoption of a prompt and effective Treaty. A reply was received from the FCO Minister responsible for Arms Control issues.

UNA-UK’s continued and strong support for the urgent establishment of an effective Arms Trade Treaty was reiterated at its 2007 and 2008 Annual Conferences.

WFUNA

UNA-UK has been able to draw on the support from the worldwide network of UNAs for the adoption of ATT. In November 2006, the 38th Plenary Assembly of the World Federation of United Nations Associations issued resolutions on a wide range of issues.

Click here to read the WFUNA resolution on the International Arms Trade Treaty