Many organisations have been pressing for an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), particularly the Control Arms coalition which includes Oxfam, Amnesty International and the International Action Network on Small Arms. In March 2005, then UK Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, gave his backing to the ATT which is also supported by the Defence Manufacturers Association, the representative body of the UK arms industry. This was endorsed by the next Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, with a relaunch in September 2008. The Coalition government programme, announced in May 2010, said: "We will support efforts to establish an International Arms Trade Treaty to limit the sales of arms to dangerous regimes." The ATT is now being considered internationally, through the United Nations.
CAAT's position on an ATT
CAAT supports the idea of an ATT in principle, but questions whether it will be effective, at least in so far as major conventional and high-technology equipment is concerned. The ATT could strengthen the hands of governments trying to prevent the circulation of small arms, and CAAT would warmly welcome this, but it is clear that the deals the companies find most lucrative, such as those to Saudi Arabia, Israel, India and Pakistan, would continue unabated.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) itself stresses that the proposed ATT is "not a disarmament treaty but an export control treaty" aimed at stopping weapons reaching "the hands of terrorists, insurgents and human rights abusers". The ATT is supported by the arms industry which sees it as providing a "level playing field"; unsurprisingly, since the FCO says it: "will be good for business, both manufacturing and export sales."
As envisaged by the UK government, the ATT would not provide adequate constraints and could well serve simply to legitimise arms sales. CAAT is concerned that its support for the ATT allows the Government to the impression it is taking action, whilst it continues to support the arms companies in their deadly business.
There is no such thing as a responsible arms trade. The UK government must acknowledge that an ATT will be worthwhile only if it stops arms sales, from the UK as well as elsewhere, to areas of conflict and to human rights violators.
Further information
Control Arms? by Mike Lewis, CAATnews, June - July 2006.
A hollow gesture? by Nicholas Gilby, CAATnews, Dec 2005-Jan 2006.
The UK government's position on the ATT, as well as news on negotiations, can be found on the FCO website.
The Control Arms proposals for, and comments on developments towards, an ATT.
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