Arms Trade Treaty

There are around 639 million small arms and light weapons (SALW) in the world today. Eight million more are produced every year. Without strict control, such weapons will continue to fuel violent conflict, state repression, crime, and domestic abuse. Unless governments act to stop the spread of arms, more lives will be lost, more human rights violations will take place, and more people will be denied the chance to escape poverty.

The international Arms Trade is out of control! There is as yet no coordinated mechanism or global criteria to be used in a harmonized fashion and applied equally to all arms exporters and importers.

Since 2003, the control arms Campaign has been calling for a global, legally binding Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This treaty must prevent international arms transfers if the weapons are likely to be used to commit atrocities.

While there are global treaties that regulate chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, there is no global treaty to regulate conventional weapons – the weapons most commonly used in armed violence. In December 2006, 153 governments voted at the United Nations to start work on developing such a treaty.

During 2007, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is asking all governments to submit their views on the contents of the treaty. This is a critical step.

Alongside this official consultation, the Control Arms campaign is running a parallel People's Consultation on the Arms Trade Treaty. People all around the world are urging their governments to promote an effective treaty that will protect them from armed violence.

Nepal's Position
Nepal has taken part in different international arena, related to SALW, though presence has not been that significant. Nepal was absent during the polling on ATT at UN General Assembly on 12 October 2006. 153 states voted to adopt the Resolution Towards an Arms Trade Treaty. However, its presence in different workshop and the commitment made has shown some positive signals. Now its time for Nepal to take part in the control arms campaign and should also work thoroughly in the ATT process. In Nepal South Asia Small Arm-Network Nepal (SASA-Net) is lobbying government in this regard. SASA-Net in near future is organizing people's consultation at various level in Nepal.

It is the responsibility of the citizen to urge government to take part in the ATT process and raise their concern towards ATT. Urge government to remind Ban Ki-moon that an Arms Trade Treaty must:

• Stop arms transfers that will be used for serious violations of human rights of international humanitarian law
• Stop arms transfers that would undermine sustainable development
• Stop arms transfers that will weaken regional security.

source

www.controlarms.org