Today marks the first day of the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). As members states made their final preparations for the month-long negotiations, several All-Party Parliamentary Groups and UNA-UK have been urging member states to grasp this historic opportunity to reduce the human suffering and instability caused by the lack of an effective international legal regulatory framework governing the conventional arms trade.
Lord Hannay, Chair of the UN APPG, in collaboration with Martin Caton MP, Chair of the APPG on Weapons and Protection of Civilians, and Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Chairman of the UNA-UK, has written to the governments of Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa, urging them to be strong and active advocates for a robust and comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty, with strong human rights and international law provisions at its core.
The letters also urged these governments to call for a treaty which requires the highest possible standards and transparency regarding the import, export and re-export of conventional arms, without undermining the right for a state to legitimately procure arms and participate in a transparent arms trade.
And lastly, it called for the emergence of a comprehensive ATT, covering all types of conventional weaponry, munitions and armaments, as well as associated components, technologies and the technological expertise required to develop and maintain the aforementioned articles.
The initiative, which has broard support from both Houses of Parliament, as well as from UNA-UK, follows on from a vibrant and well-attended UK parliamentary meeting on 25 April on the ‘Prospects for a strong ATT’ with Alistair Burt, Foreign Office Minister for Counter Proliferation, and Anna MacDonald, Head of Arms Control at Oxfam and co-chair of the Control Arms Coalition.
You can find more information on the ATT conference website.
Please see an example letter attached.
