For the past four weeks, UN member states have been negotiating a treaty to regulate the global arms trade.
Securing a robust Arms Trade Treaty has been a priority for UNA-UK for many years. Our main concerns are that the treaty:
- covers the widest possible range of conventional arms and components
- is based on international human rights and humanitarian obligations
- prevents transfers when a significant risk exists that the arms will be used to facilitate serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law
As negotiations enter their final 48 hours, there is great pressure on states to compromise and agree a text. Consequently, the most recent draft is significantly weaker, particularly in terms of language on human rights and gender-based violence. Click here to take action now
This is in spite of widespread support for a strong treaty. Last week, 74 countries delivered a statement at the negotiations which said that the treaty must prevent transfers of arms when there is a substantial risk that they would facilitate serious violations of international law; destabilise or exacerbate existing conflicts; or be diverted to unauthorised users.
Unfortunately, several key states, including the UK, France and Australia, did not support this statement. There is concern that having championed the creation of a robust treaty for so long, the UK is now willing to compromise to reach agreement.
Speaking in Parliament, Lord Hannay of Chiswick, Chair of the UN All-Party Parliamentary Group, urged the government to stick to its commitment to a strong treaty even if that means that some of the largest exporters will not, for the time being at least, sign it. He pointed out that the UK will likely have to choose between a strong treaty that is not signed by all states, and a weak treaty signed by everyone that "will not be worth the paper it is written on because it will be subscribed to by countries like Russia, which is busy exporting arms to a situation of humanitarian disaster in Syria as if there were no tomorrow".
An Arms Trade Treaty could help save millions of lives.
Please join us and urge the UK to support the strongest treaty possible
