Today President Obama chaired a historic session of the UN Security Council solely focused on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The meeting affirmed President Obama’s commitment and agenda as he announced it on April 5, 2009 in Prague “to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons”. For an expert’s views on the meeting see Jonathan Granoff’s blog post today
With this new energy 2010 can become an important year for disarmament. Let’s also hope that the US Administration’s new-found energy and enthusiasm for disarmament will also spill over to the realm of conventional weapons, responsible for the death of more than 2000 people every day.
In October, the UN 1st committee will decide whether 2010 will also be the year when negotiations finally gets under way on a much needed Arms Trade Treaty to regulate trade and transfers of all conventional weapons and ammunitions. If we are to achieve Obama’s vision of security in a world free of nuclear weapons it is vital that we also make significant progress to control conventional arms.
Obama’s meeting today was an important forwards. Now it’s up to all of us, states and civil society, to do what we can to make 2010 the breakthrough year it could be.
Take action and follow progress towards and Arms Trade Treaty on this blog and at www.controlarms.org
a pretty good introduction to the US legislative system…
A long week at the United Nations is over. The morning was spent in the back of the conference room listening to the diplomats adjusting typos and commas and unsuccessfully seeking substantive changes to the chair’s final report of the meeting.
Again, the representative from Nigeria described the feeling in the room the best when he said that the report was being adopted by all with “even distribution of dissatisfaction”. A new negotiation model, he said he wanted to chair with his former International Relations professor.
So what does it all mean? On the positive side, the report adopted by all states today marked that for the first time all governments agreed that international action is needed to address the problem of the unregulated arms trade. In contrast to the last Open-Ended Working Group in March 2009, this week almost no States seriously questioned the merit of developing international regulations and a majority of the countries urged that negotiations begin on an Arms Trade Treaty. A clear message was given that a small number of States must no longer block the desire of the overwhelming majority for a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty.
In response to our campaign and targeting lobbying, the US which has previously opposed discussions on a future Arms Trade Treaty, now showed willingness to fully engage in the debate.
It was also particularly great to hear a number of powerful interventions by States from many regions of the world affected by conflict and armed violence, including: Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Liberia, Mexico, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Some big arms exporters. Including Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, UK, and Ukraine, also delivered some strong statements. Finally, I’d like to highlight supportive interventions that helped build momentum for an effective Arms Trade Treaty from Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.
But let’s not forget that whilst momentum is building Control Arms activists from every part of the world came to the United Nations to campaign for the strongest possible treaty. That’s one that will control transfers of all arms and ammunition with tough criteria to stop them from getting into the wrong hands. And we’re not there yet.
With 2000 people dying every day from armed violence, Member States must agree to begin negotiations when they reconvene in October. We’ll be there in October and will be calling on you for your support.
Oistein
The “Open Minded Working Group” was a slip of the tongue one country delegate made
in his opening statement at this week’s talks on the Arms Trade Treaty (formally known as the Open Ended Working Group.) If only, was the feeling of my NGO colleagues and I listening from the back of the room.
The talks began slowly, and we heard a number of negative interventions from States not yet convinced global arms regulation is really needed. But today, things picked up and there was new energy in the room and strong statements of support coming from all corners of the world, including Liberia, the Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire, UK, Kenya, Nigeria and Norway. Between them they called for an Arms Trade Treaty to be based clearly on international human rights law, international humanitarian law and sustainable development. The US also showed new openness to engage in constructive dialogue in a promising intervention.
Whilst slower than we would like it’s clear that momentum is building, and that many states are ready to see the development of a Treaty with real teeth. Meaning a treaty that will help put an end to the irresponsible arms transfers that fuel conflict, poverty and human rights abuses around the world. As many times before the Nigerian representative summed it all up better than anyone through a proverb from his country, stating that whilst a “rat takes 4 weeks to have a baby, an elephant needs 24 months. A tough ATT is an elephant baby”.
Tomorrow the Chair will circulate his draft report, what it will say and whether states will agree it remains to be seen. I’ll keep you posted.
Oistein
As part of an international team of NGO representatives I have set up camp for the week in the smoky basement of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. In this distinct 1950s atmosphere of international wheeling and dealing the world’s diplomats have come together to discuss the future and content of a global arms trade treaty.
People around the world - through the Control Arms campaign - have been calling for a tough treaty based on human rights law, international humanitarian law and sustainable development since 2003. And whilst the support for such a treaty is growing amongst states we still have quite a bit of convincing to do. Hence the base(ment) camp at the UN this week. We are team of people from all regions of the world, speaking different languages, and making our points to state delegates in any way we can – calling for a tough treaty as soon as possible.
In addition to one-to-one meetings, side events, distribution of our documents and materials we are today setting up an exhibition at the UN with drawings made by children. The drawings depict the devastating impact of the irresponsible trade in conventional weapons on the lives of children.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/controlarms/sets/72157621453484678/show/
The drawings were made between 2004 and 2007 by girls and boys aged between 6 and 18 living in situations of armed conflict. Many were simply asked to draw images of “home”. The images they drew almost uniformly depict the arrival of armed soldiers, militias or gangs in their communities; killings, summary executions, sexual violence, and the burning and looting of homes; and the weaponry used to perpetrate these acts, often strikingly rendered in great detail.
To hear one of my colleagues from Amnesty talk about the exhibition please go to:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/42541-att-drawings-by-children-in-conflict-zones
Without a tough, comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty, irresponsible transfers of these kinds of weapons will continue to devastate the lives and livelihoods of children around the world. Let’s hope the drawings make an impact on the diplomats.
If you want to help us change the US position please take action at: www.controlarms.org/en/obama
Thanks for you support
Oistein
More powerful lego blogging from Legofesto. This time the focus is the use of weapons to committ human rights abuses in Burma and Sudan. Check it out!
Confused about when the UN General Assembly takes place, look no further than to this ammendment of paragraph 1 of resolution 57/301 of 13 March 2003 - clear as crystal:
“The General Assembly shall meet every year in regular session commencing on the Tuesday of the third week in September, counting from the first week that contains at least one working day.” In paragraph 2 of the resolution, the Assembly also decided that “the general debate in the General Assembly shall open on the Tuesday following the opening of the regular session of the General Assembly and shall be held without interruption over a period of nine working days”
Powerful blog from Grace Mutandwa about the need for a strong arms trade treaty. Take action now on www.controlarms.org/en/obama
