UNA-UK is encouraged by its latest correspondence with Alistair Burt MP, FCO Minister for Counter Proliferation, in which the Minister acknowledges that additional work is required on the current draft arms trade treaty (ATT) in order to make the text 'more coherent and effective'.
The letter, dated 19 October, is in response to a letter from Sir Jeremy Greenstock, UNA-UK's Chairman, raising concerns about weaknesses and loopholes contained in the draft treaty on the table at the end of the July Conference, which is to be used as a basis for future negotiations.
Success in strengthening this text, and in gathering support for a strong treaty to be adopted at the anticipated March 2013 negotiations, will depend to a large extent on the UK’s continued political leadership and diplomatic efforts, which have been impressive to date even if compromises have been made.
We are witnessing the consequences of an unregulated arms trade on a daily basis with the appalling ongoing violence in Syria. Much of the violence in the wider region is made possible by weapons reaching the hands of criminals, insurgents and repressive regimes. The sooner a robust treaty is in place, the sooner these irresponsible practices will be prohibited under international law.
UNA-UK, with its grassroots membership across the country, strongly believes that although a treaty with broad participation has advantages, a robust ATT, even if not all states are willing to ratify it in the short term, will prove far more effective in the long run than a weaker text that every state can subscribe to but that does not represent tangible progress.
A weak treaty risks both institutionalising unacceptably low regulatory standards for arms transfers and legitimising irresponsible behaviour. It would still give too much legal cover to those selling weapons that fuel conflict and instability.
If you would like to learn more about the campaign to secure a strong ATT, get up to date by reading a presentation entitled 'Prospects for a Strong Arms Trade Treaty' by Ben Donaldson, UNA-UK's Communications and Campaigns Officer. The presentation was written for a meeting hosted by UNA Eastern Region on 27 October 2012.
