Posts tagged: control arms
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
