Amnesty International Campaign: Arms Trade Treaty
In 2006, 153 countries of the UN voted in support of the creation of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to curb the irresponsible trade and transfer of weapons and ammunition. This would prevent weapons reaching the hands of terrorists, insurgents and human rights abusers. Only one contemptible government voted against - that of the United States of America.
In the words of Barbara Stocking, Director of Oxfam, "No one but a criminal would knowingly sell a gun to a murderer, yet governments can sell weapons to regimes with a history of human rights violations or to countries where weapons will go to war criminals." That is what the ATT will seek to bring to an end.
The ATT is due to be debated again at the United Nations General Assembly in October 2008, i.e next month. At this meeting, we need governments to commit to start formal negotiations for the ATT and for them to ensure that it is delivered within the shortest possible time frame necessary to help bring an end the current arms crisis. 1000 people a day die as a result of armed violence caused by small arms alone (speaking of which, the UN also approved a draft on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects by a vote of 172 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions. The US really makes my blood boil... "Why do they hate us?").
Organisations such as Amnesty and Oxfam believe it is imperative that the ATT does not slip off the international agenda. If it goes ahead successfully we could see an internationally regulated arms trade, greatly reducing the potential for mass human rights abuses such as genocide and deplacement.
Please take five minutes of your time to take action. If you're from the UK, email David Miliband: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=480
Join the Facebook Group (actually a "supporter" thing), wherever you're from: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Control-Arms/12082541987
More details on the ATT: http://www.controlarms.org/en
And, most importantly, spread the message!
Thanks guys.
PS: The UK government has actually been central to the ATT. In December 2006, the UK and 6 other countries (Australia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Finland, Kenya and Japan) introduced a UN Resolution calling for work towards a global ATT. This is the first thing to make me proud to be British in a good long time.
PPS: In unrelated Amnesty news, Argentina has abolished the death penalty! 137 countries now which have abolished it in law or practice.
In the words of Barbara Stocking, Director of Oxfam, "No one but a criminal would knowingly sell a gun to a murderer, yet governments can sell weapons to regimes with a history of human rights violations or to countries where weapons will go to war criminals." That is what the ATT will seek to bring to an end.
The ATT is due to be debated again at the United Nations General Assembly in October 2008, i.e next month. At this meeting, we need governments to commit to start formal negotiations for the ATT and for them to ensure that it is delivered within the shortest possible time frame necessary to help bring an end the current arms crisis. 1000 people a day die as a result of armed violence caused by small arms alone (speaking of which, the UN also approved a draft on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects by a vote of 172 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions. The US really makes my blood boil... "Why do they hate us?").
Organisations such as Amnesty and Oxfam believe it is imperative that the ATT does not slip off the international agenda. If it goes ahead successfully we could see an internationally regulated arms trade, greatly reducing the potential for mass human rights abuses such as genocide and deplacement.
Please take five minutes of your time to take action. If you're from the UK, email David Miliband: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=480
Join the Facebook Group (actually a "supporter" thing), wherever you're from: http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Control-Arms/12082541987
More details on the ATT: http://www.controlarms.org/en
And, most importantly, spread the message!
Thanks guys.
PS: The UK government has actually been central to the ATT. In December 2006, the UK and 6 other countries (Australia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Finland, Kenya and Japan) introduced a UN Resolution calling for work towards a global ATT. This is the first thing to make me proud to be British in a good long time.
PPS: In unrelated Amnesty news, Argentina has abolished the death penalty! 137 countries now which have abolished it in law or practice.