Arms Trade Treaty - we need it now
Campaigners from around the world are calling on states to commit to the start of formal negotiations of an Arms Trade Treaty next year, with a deadline in 2012. We need an effective treaty urgently.
Despite the suffering and poverty fuelled by irresponsible arms transfers, there is still no comprehensive, binding international treaty on the trade in conventional arms.
Since 2003, the Control Arms Campaign has been calling for a strong and effective Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a legally binding international instrument, which will draw together and consolidate states’ current obligations under international law. If properly implemented, such an ATT would reduce the human cost associated with the proliferation of conventional arms. It would prevent unscrupulous arms suppliers finding the weakest point in the supply chain, and ensure that all arms exporters and importers are abiding by the same high standards regarding the use, management and transfer of arms, leading to a more secure world.
The idea of a global ATT was inspired by Nobel Peace Laureates and developed by lawyers, human rights organisations, and humanitarian NGOs. It now enjoys the support of a growing number of governments (153 States), as well as more than 800 civil society organisations worldwide
CONTROL ARMS CAMPAIGN
