Arms Trade Treaty Finally Enters Into Force

Campaigners, including a Scots father, have hailed a 'huge victory' as the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty becomes international law.

The Treaty aims to set the highest standards for controlling the $85 billion international trade of arms and ammunition and to cut the supply of weapons to all dictators and human rights abusers. It follows many years of campaigning by Oxfam, which is a leading member of the Control Arms Coalition. 

The ATT has taken only 18 months from opening for signature to entry-into-force. This is one of the fastest approval processes for any multilateral arms treaty, and shows the weight of political support the world’s nations have invested in the treaty. 

David Grimason, whose son was Alistair was shot dead during a holiday in Turkey in 2003, has campaigned for tighter restrictions ever since and campaigned with Oxfam at the United Nations negotiations in both 2012 and 2013. 

He said: "I welcome the news that the Arms Trade Treaty has now passed into international law. As someone who has to live with the effects of gun violence, I realise how important it is to do whatever we can to restrict the flow of weapons and prevent them reaching people who will misuse them. 

"If this treaty is implemented fully, it has the potential to save many lives and protect vulnerable people all over the world.”"

Alistair was asleep in his pram in a cafe when an argument broke out at a nearby table and a man, armed with an illegal gun, opened fire - killing the toddler from East Kilbride. Mr Grimason, who now lives in Aberdeen, has campaigned for new global laws ever since. 

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said: "This is a great day for all those who have campaigned for more than a decade for a global Arms Trade Treaty. 

"For too long, arms and ammunition have been traded with few questions asked about whose lives they will destroy. The new Arms Trade Treaty, which enters into force tomorrow, will bring that to an end.

"This Treaty will transform the global arms business. It will no longer be acceptable to look the other way when arms are transferred to regimes that will use them to harm innocent people and violate their human rights."

Under the new rules contained in the ATT, before any arms transfer takes place, the supplier government must assess associated risks of the deal against strict criteria, including whether the arms might be used for human rights violations or war crimes. If there is a substantial risk of this happening, the deal cannot be authorised by the seller. 

Control Arms Director Anna Macdonald said: "Civilians have paid far too high a price this year. From Aleppo to Peshawar, from Gaza to South Sudan, we have seen the devastating impact of the poorly-regulated arms trade.

"If robustly-implemented, this treaty has the potential to save many lives and offer much-needed protection to vulnerable civilians around the world. It is now – finally - against international law to put weapons into the hands of human rights abusers and dictators. December 24 marks the dawn of a new era."

The first Conference of States Parties (CSP) of the Treaty is expected to take place during late-August/early-September next year. At these meetings States and civil society will work together to ensure the treaty is properly implemented and that irresponsible arms trading is not taking place. 

To date, 129 states have signed the ATT, with 60 having ratified it. These include major arms exporters such as France, the UK and Germany.