Towards a Global Arms Trade Treaty

There are 600 million small and light weapons today in the world. 8 million more are manufactured every year. The lack of controls over international arms transferences allows them uninterrupted flow into conflicts, supression, crimes and human rights abuses.

The United Nations created a global agreement, the Program of Action (PoA) with the goal of combatting the illicit arms trade in small arms and light weapons. At the last meeting held to revise the PoA however, the member states were unable to reach a consensus, and no agreement was signed.

A new proposal fared better however, the Arms Trade Treaty, ATT, was approved at the UN General Assembly with 139 votes in favor, 1 against and 24 abstentions.  As it has been drawn up, the ATT will be legally binding, is not restricted to small arms but covers all conventional weapons, and establishes criteria to protect and promote human rights.

Reports and Documents:

Towards an Arms Trade Treaty, the draft of the First Committee Resolution 

The United Nations Program of Action against the proliferation of firearms

Arms without borders

Civilians, guns and peace processes: Approaches and possibilities

from Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Read Further:

Control Arms

The 61st United Nations General Assembly

Iansa

UN General Assembly to decide on arms transfers

UN conference on arms control ends without agreement

Seven nations take global arms trade treaty to the UN

107 countries; 1.5 million thank yous!

- by Daniel Luz, a member of  Iansa and Clave