The Arms Trade Treaty

Reducing Armed Violence and Supporting Development

Martin Butcher, Oxfam

mbutcher@oxfam.org.uk

Arms transfers impact on development when they:

• Aggravate armed violence (conflict, crime, serious violations of human rights)

• When they undermine post-conflict peacebuilding

• When they drain state resources unaccountably

• When they involve corruption

Armed violence & Peacebuilding• 22 of 34 countries most likely to miss the MDGs are in

the midst of, or emerging from, conflict• Arms Trade = $1.4 trillion, Peacekeeping = $7.1 billion• $18 bn per year taken out of Africa’s economy

African conflict countries have

MORE50% - Infant deaths15% - Undernourished people20% - Illiteracy

LESS5 years – life expectancy2.5 times – doctors63% - GDP/capita

• Injuries are likely to be even more numerous than deaths in conflict and armed violence

• About 60% of human rights violations documented by Amnesty International have involved the use of small arms and light weapons

• 26 million people worldwide were internally displaced as a result of armed conflict at the end of 2008

• All of the top six countries of origin of refugees in 2008 are locations of armed conflict

• Child soldiers have been actively involved in armed conflict in government forces or non-state armed groups in 19 countries or territories since 2004

What Will the ATT Do?

• States must establish a list of controlled items• States are obliged to assess risks of IHL and human

rights abuses• States are obliged to assess risks of diversion• States must report annually on Arms Trade and

treaty implementation• Work with recipient States to mitigate risk• States must control brokers• Does NOT directly mention the impact on

development in operative paragraphs

What Will This Achieve?

• Improved governance

• Improved security of stockpiles

• Reduced risk of arms entering grey and black markets

• Greater transparency

What Must We Do?

• Robust implementation is essential to turn words into actions

• Ensure meetings of States Party to the treaty contribute to norm building and reinforcement

• Challenge States on dubious arms deals to strengthen norm

• Work with States to ensure effective National Implementation