by Ray Acheson, Reaching Critical Will of WILPF
With the negotiating conference to develop
legally-binding standards for the international arms trade set to begin today,
advocates, delegates, and survivors of armed conflict around the world have
tuned in to participate and watch the action at the United Nations. Out in the
rest of the world, the daily news clearly demonstrates the urgency of the UN’s
task. So-called “conventional weapons” are used all over the globe to kill or
maim civilians; violate human rights; cause refugee crises; facilitate sexual
violence and trafficking; obstruct economic and social development; and more.
The global arms trade is valued at over US$50 billion per year and global
military spending as a whole reached US$1.74 trillion in 2011. Above all else,
weapons are tools of violence and repression by those that use them and tools
of financial gain by those who make and sell them.
For decades, civil society and many governments have demanded that the international community take action against the arms trade, the negative effects of which have implications for global peace and security. Currently, trade in bananas and children’s toys is more heavily regulated than weapons. This July, civil society groups and governments from around the world have come together to change that. Actors from a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds, professions, and countries will work to ensure that member states negotiate a robust and comprehensive treaty that includes all types of conventional weapons and ammunition and that contributes concretely to protecting human rights.
For decades, civil society and many governments have demanded that the international community take action against the arms trade, the negative effects of which have implications for global peace and security. Currently, trade in bananas and children’s toys is more heavily regulated than weapons. This July, civil society groups and governments from around the world have come together to change that. Actors from a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds, professions, and countries will work to ensure that member states negotiate a robust and comprehensive treaty that includes all types of conventional weapons and ammunition and that contributes concretely to protecting human rights.
Many of us,
including Reaching Critical Will and the Women’s International League for Peace
and Freedom (WILPF), will also work to ensure that the treaty does not result
in the United Nations being used as a cover for future arms transfers. We
believe that the arms trade treaty (ATT) must be a strong tool with the primary
purpose of preventing armed conflict, preventing the violation of human rights
and international humanitarian law, and seriously reducing the culture and
economy of militarism. It will be incredibly important that the final treaty
text does not undermine any of the existing standards and regulations of the
arms trade, but builds upon these. It will also be essential that the ATT does
not facilitate the arms trade or the arms industry, but instead helps build the
foundations for not just the regulation but also the reduction of the arms
trade, along with the reduction of militarism throughout politics and society,
reduction of military spending, and redirection of economic resources and
priorities.
Many groups
and constituencies have different angles to push during the course of
negotiations. One issue that has become a point of convergence for many
advocates working for a strong ATT is that of gender-based armed violence. The
arms trade has specific gender dimensions and direct links to discrimination
and gender-based violence. Emboldened by weapons, power and status, both state
and non-state actors often perpetrate gender-based violence, disproportionately
affecting women, with impunity. This has far-reaching implications for efforts
to consolidate peace, security, gender equality, and sustainable development.
For this
reason, WILPF, the IANSA Women’s Network, Amnesty International, and Religions
for Peace have joined together to draft a policy paper on includinggender-based criteria in the arms trade treaty. We are calling for the ATT to
require states not to authorize an international transfer of conventional arms
where there is a substantial risk that the arms under consideration are likely
to be used to perpetrate or facilitate acts of gender-based violence, including
rape and other forms of sexual violence. Dozens of civil society groups have endorsed
this call. More information can be found on page 4 of ATT Monitor, Vol. 5, No. 1 and at
www.reachingcriticalwill.org.
There
is a long month ahead, but it is a labour of love for those who seek the
adoption of effective measures to combat the devastation of the arms trade. Being
ambitious, creative, and uncompromising in the quest for strengthened controls
on the trade in arms will be crucial for strengthening human security for current
generations and beyond.
