| Towards an Arms Trade Treaty:
Resolution adopted in the First Committee
By Martine Perret. UN photo 59786.
On October 26, 2006 The UN General Assembly's First Committee on Disarmament and International Security adopted resolution A/C.1/61/L.55 entitled "Towards an arms trade treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms." This is seen as a marked step forward for those countries, NGOs, and members of civil society who have been working tirelessly for an international instrument which would curb the illicit trade in conventional weapons.
The Need:
A number of governments highlighted the need for common and legally binding international standards for the import, export, and transfer of conventional arms (which includes small arms and light weapons) during the First Committee statements and thematic debate:
The European Union: "Every day, and everywhere, people are affected by side effects of irresponsible arms transfers. The negative impact on peace, reconstruction, security, stability, human rights and sustainable development is especially damaging to developing countries, in particular in Africa. In addition, it diverts scarce resources from vital poverty alleviation and other developmental work. The EU had noted that there is a strong call from a number of the world's political, as well as spiritual leaders, States, and civil society for the establishment of a new treaty to better regulate the trade in arms.
As there is currently no comprehensive internationally binding instrument available to provide an agreed regulatory framework for this activity, the EU welcomes the growing support, in all parts of the world, for an ATT. The EU considers that starting of a comprehensive formal process to this end at the UN at the earliest opportunity is called for and views the draft resolution under discussion as providing the basis for this.
Binding standards, consistent with the existing responsibilities of states under relevant international law, would be critical in tackling conventional arms proliferation which is undesirable and irresponsible and which particularly affects some of the most vulnerable parts of the world.”
New Zealand: “We do not underestimate the complexities of reconciling state sovereignty, commercial and trade freedoms as well as civil liberty considerations with steps that need to be taken at the global level to mitigate and prevent the harm done by illicit trade in light weapons. At the same time, we consider that further global level action is possible, and is warranted. We need to pursue opportunities to make this happen. In particular, New Zealand supports further work on an arms trade treaty, transfer principles, and brokering, over the course of the next year.”
Brazil:
“Brazil is committed to the goal of negotiating effective, balanced, and nondiscriminatory multilateral regulations on the international arms trade, including a possible future treaty to regulate trade in conventional arms. One of the core objectives of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) must be that of preventing conventional weapons from being diverted to illicit purposes, such as organized crimes and terrorism, without prejudice of the right of States to produce, acquire and maintain such weapons for self defense purposes, in accordance with the relevant provision of the UN"
What the Resolution Says:
The resolution recognizes that though States have the right to self-defence and to "manufacture, import, export, transfer and retain conventional arms for self-defence and security needs and in order to participate in peace support operations,"there are currently no common international standards on the import, export, and transfer of conventional arms." The absense of these standards fuel "conflict, the displacement of people, crime and terrorism, thereby undermining peace, reconciliation, safety, security, stability and sustainable development."
It acknowledges the growing international support for creating a legally binding instrument to establish common standards for importing, exporting, and transfering conventional weapons and calls for the following:
1. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on the feasibility, scope and draft parameters for a comprehensive, legally binding instrument establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms, and to submit a report on the subject to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session;
2. Also requests the Secretary-General to establish a group of governmental experts, on the basis of equitable geographic distribution, commencing in 2008, informed by the report of the Secretary-General submitted to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session, to examine the feasibility, scope and draft parameters for a comprehensive, legally binding instrument establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms, and to transmit the report of the group of experts to the General Assembly for consideration at its sixty-third session;
3. Further requests the Secretary-General to provide the group of governmental experts with any assistance and services that may be required for the discharge of its tasks.
Analysis of the Vote:
After a number of weeks of discussion, revision, and lobbying by those in favor of the establishment of an Arms Trade Treaty, a large number of States sponsored the resolution itself. They are listed as follows:
Lead Sponsors: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay and Zambia. On the day of the vote, Gambia, Azerbaijan and San Marino added themselves to the list of sponsors.
Some States, expressed reservations regarding the resolution, a majority of whom supported the idea of an Arms Trade Treaty in principle but felt that the establishment of a Group of Governmental Experts now, before the Secretary General's report reflecting the views of the Member States was submitted and digested, was "prescriptive" and "premature." This was the reasoning behind the separate votes called on operative paragraph 2 (establishment of a GGE) and operative paragraph 3 (support of the Secretary General to the GGE), and this general view was reflected in the vote by the 24 abstentions and in the subsequent "explanation of votes" by Member States.
The United States was the only country that voted "no" on the resolution. It did not explain its vote. Results:
Voting Result in the First Committee : 139-1-24
Voting Result on OP2 in the First Committee :133-1-26
Voting Result on OP 3 in the First Committee : 133-1-24
Explanation of Vote : Jamaica, European Union, Cuba, Venezuela, China, India, Iran, Algeria, Libyan Arab Jamahira, Russian Federation, Israel, Pakistan, Costa Rica
Moving Forward: What does this all Mean?
First of all, this means that global advocacy efforts worked! For years the need for an Arms Trade Treaty has been pushed, and for months a noticeable buzz around the resolution which would begin the steps necessary to achieve such a goal. Individuals from all over the world have spoken out by sending letters to their governments! Global Action to Prevent War participated in this effort with our own letter to our foreign ministries and were able to successfully dialogue with the Foreign Ministry of Mexico (see their letter of response), who ended up co-sponsoring the resolution itself.
We also need to stay vigilent and keep the pressure on our governmental representatives. It is still a long road we must walk before an Arms Trade Treaty comes into existence, and it may not happen if we the people of the world don't continue our demands for the international community to exercise political will, make compromises, and to keep the interests of humankind at heart! |
Global Action to Prevent War's position on the issue of Small Arms and Light Weapons:
"Cutbacks in the international traffic in small arms will reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks and escalation of internal conflicts into mass violence. Similarly, cutbacks in the production and trade of major weapons, which will be facilitated by the freeze and planned cuts in standing armed forces, will help defuse the major regional conflicts that account for nearly three-quarters of the international arms trade.
With a freeze or no-increase commitment in effect, the need for new weapons to replace aging systems will be reduced. This is the ideal time to begin reductions in arms production and trade. In addition, with the exception of hunting or sporting weapons, there should be no arms sales to private groups or individuals; no sales to those engaged in armed conflict unless the Security Council determines that one side is the victim of aggression; no sales to nations with bad human rights records, as determined by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; and no sales to governments that spend more on their armed forces than on health or education (unless certified as exempt because thy are victims of aggression)."
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Remembering a hero in the struggle against violence:
 Sadly, while we were all working towards a Treaty that would reduce the number of innocent civilians killed each year by gun violence, a leader in this struggle fell victim to what he was working against. Dr. Vincent Makanju was killed on October 11th by armed gunmen in his apartment in Ile Ife, Nigeria. His words about stopping the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons spur us on to continue our work:
"The amount of Small Arms in Nigeria is capable of shaking the nation to her foundation. If this is the case in Nigeria, which is considered relatively stable, we can juxtapose what the situation is in other war-torn nations in Africa.
 Do you know that Mr. Dokubo, the leader of one of the militia groups in Niger Delta region of Nigeria, after persuasion submitted over 1,000 rifles to the Federal Government early this year – Where do they get them????
All hands must be on deck to impress on the PrepCom Meeting to prepare a positive ground for the Review Conference coming up in June for concrete and concerted efforts to be taken against Small Arms and Light Weapons proliferation. We have the evidences and we shall present them as GAPW members for all to see.
When the small arms and light weapons are out of the way, bows and arrows can do just a little in wars! Then we are getting closer to war prevention!!"
Vincent Makanju, December 2005 |
Background Information:
Global Action to Prevent War has been contributing to awareness-raising among NGOs and members of civil society by reporting on the discussion and debate within the UN on conventional weapons. To read the reports on the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security published by Reaching Critical Will, please click on the following:
Additional Resources and Media Coverage:
We Arm the World
27 October 2006
William D. Hartung
TomPaine.com
Arms trade treaty proposal gets huge support in UN
27 October 2006
Sapa- AFP
Business Day, South Africa
UN to draft treaty on arms trade
27 October 2006
ABC News Online
Beckett welcomes UN arms trade treaty
27 October 2006
Epolitix, UK
Overwhelming majority of world's government vote
to start work on an international Arms Trade Treaty
27 October 2006
Control Arms (Press Release)
UN initiates arms trade agreement
27 October 2006
Jane Nyambune
BBC News
DRAFT RESOLUTION ON INTERNATIONAL ARMS TRADE TREATY
ONE OF EIGHT TEXTS INTRODUCED IN DISARMAMENT COMMITTEE
27 October 2006
Press Zoom (press release) Netherlands
UN panel backs new treaty on global arms trade
By Irwin Arieff
26 October 2006
Reuters Nobel Peace Prize Laureates appeal for an Arms Trade Treaty
Amnesty International
Open Letter
24 October 2006 Big Powers Split on Proposed Arms Trade Treaty
18 October 2006
Asian Tribune, Thailand
By Thalif Deen - Inter Press Service Vatican Statement on International Arms Trade Treaty
13 October 2005
Catholic Online, CA
US Obstructionism in the World Struggle against Small Arms and Light Weapons
(Written orginally for the Global Action to Prevent War network)
October 2006
Judith McDaniel
Peacework Magazine
Control Arms website
International Action Network on Small Arms website |
