The Arms Trade Treaty - Securing a Treaty that saves lives, upholds human rights and

protects livelihoods

The UK Government is firmly committed to securing agreement on a robust, legally-binding

Treaty which will set the highest possible common standards to regulate the international

trade in weapons. The UK has led efforts to this end since co-authoring the first UN General

Assembly Resolution on the issue in 2006. After years of hard work, we are now close to

agreement and signature. The March conference represents an historic opportunity to

conclude a Treaty which will save lives, uphold human rights and protect livelihoods.

At the last conference on the ATT in July 2012, great progress was made. Like the

overwhelming majority of states, we supported the conference President’s draft Treaty text

and were ready to agree to it. Nevertheless, a small number of states pushed for more time,

which meant the conference closed without agreement. While disappointed by this, we

recognised that to be fully effective, the Treaty would need broad – ideally universal –

participation including that of existing and future arms exporting states. Without them, the

Treaty cannot achieve the impact we all want to see.

As it stands today, the draft provides us with a strong base to work from and reflects the

compromises necessary to bridge the wide variety of national positions. The text is robust

and its adoption would make a real difference by establishing:

A first ever set of global commitments on national arms export controls. A global baseline for regulating arms exports;

The first ever international legally binding agreement on the transfer of small arms and light weapons;

A mandatory requirement for arms exports - including ammunition and military parts and components - to be assessed on the basis of criteria including human rights, and a mandatory refusal if they pose unacceptable risks;

Mainstreaming sustainable development and anti-corruption into arms export controls;

A requirement for countries to regulate brokering;

Mandatory reporting on authorisations or actual transfers of conventional arms.

At the negotiations later this month, we will work to strengthen the draft text. We have been

clear throughout the negotiations that, while we recognise the need for flexibility and

compromise, we would not accept or sign a weak Treaty. We continue to hold strictly to

these principles. We have been working actively with other governments and with non-

governmental organisations like Amnesty, to achieve our shared goal of securing a robust

and effective Treaty.

The vast majority of States want 2013 to be the year we agree an ATT. We were

disappointed in July, but not discouraged. An Arms Trade Treaty is coming and when it

does, it will establish the common principles and legally binding framework needed to make

the world a safer place.

The Foreign Secretary, other Ministers and officials are now engaged in intensive lobbying

with our international partners to build support for a Treaty. As with the conference in July

2012, I plan to attend the start of the proceedings and will remain closely engaged

throughout.

But a note of caution, I must inform you that there remain a number of significant hurdles to

overcome and success is far from guaranteed. There are states which do not want to see an

ATT agreed at present. However, you should be in no doubt of this Government’s

determination to secure a robust and effective Arms Trade Treaty later this month.

ALISTAIR BURT

Minister for Counter Proliferation