The Countdown Begins Arms Trade Treaty a Go

Allison Pytlak, Control Arms

After the six years of negotiations and more than a decade of campaigning it took for the Arms
Trade Treaty (ATT) to be adopted, its entry-into-force has raced along at a relatively brisk pace.
On September 25
th
, eight more governments ratified the agreement, bringing total ratifications to
53exceeding the 50 necessary to trigger entry-into-force, which will occur December 24
th
after
a 90-day waiting period. At this point the ATT will become international law at last.

This rapid advancement demonstrates a high level of international commitment toward the ATT,
and its enactment is sorely needed. Casualties from armed violence are on the rise. The world
is wracked by armed-fueled conflicts and atrocities in Syria, Ukraine, South Sudan, the Central
Africa Republic, Israel and Gaza, to name only a few.

Implementation of the ATT represents years of hard work by many, according to Anna
Macdonald, director of the Control Arms Secretariat and (previously) Head of Arms Control at
Oxfam throughout the ATT process.
I would be on a visit to see partners Guatemala, Kenya, Jamaica, Cambodia, so many
places. I would meet people who would say you have to keep fighting for this, we need aid, we
need development, we dont need more guns, MacDonald said, on Control Arms 50
Celebrating 50 webpage. It sounds clichd but it wasnt, it was so heartfelt.

I saw so many times how armed violence is one of the biggest inhibitors to development. I
would think about everyone Id met on these trips whenever I was stuck at the UN in the latest
seemingly interminable meeting, and that was my motivation.

In the end it was incredibly exciting to be in the middle of the negotiations there were
diplomats and NGO colleagues alike who fought so hard to make this a treaty that would have
impact. It really shows the power of tenacity, of sticking with a campaign and changing a crazy
ideal into a reality.

On the 25
th
, instruments of ratification were delivered by Argentina, the Bahamas, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Saint Lucia, Senegal and Uruguay as part of an
event convened bv Saint Lucias Alva R. Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International
Trade and Civil Aviation. Each of the ratifying states spoke about the importance of the ATT at
the event, which included speeches from Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament
Affairs and Anna Macdonald on behalf of civil society. Mexico, as host of the First Conference of
States Parties, and Iceland, the first State to ratify, delivered speeches on the treatys potential
impact.
September also saw three new signatories to the ATTGeorgia, Namibia and Ukraine
bringing total signatures to 121. More states have indicated that they will sign or ratify over the
next few months.
The Control Arms Coalition, the global civil society alliance that has long campaigned for tough
international arms control, launched a new exhibition to mark the accomplishment: 50
celebrating 50. The exhibition features photos and quotes from 50 individuals from across civil
society, government and the UN whose input was important in the securing of the ATT, and is
accessible online. Control Arms encourages others to contribute their stories and photos online
to this evolving exhibit.
With entry-into-force now firmly in sight, there is an increased focus on the procedural issues
that will be key to the ATTs successful operation, as well as ongoing work surrounding
implementation.
The New York event came on the heels of a highly positive and productive two-day Informal
Consultation on the First Conference of States Parties (CSP) in Mexico City, where signatories
and ratifying states discussed the issues that will ultimately be decided at the CSP. This
includes the establishment of an ATT Secretariat, future Rules of Procedure, the timing of the
first CSP itself in 2015, and reporting. A second Informal consultations will take place in Berlin in
late November, followed by further preparatory meetings in 2015.
The first CSP is an important opportunity to set the tone for the treatys operation going forward
and reaffirm that arms transfers that fuel conflict, poverty and human rights abuses are
unacceptable.
The ATT presents a real chance to change global arms trade and stop the flow of weapons to
those who misuse them. Its entry-into-force is a first step, and the treatys ultimate success will
require strong implementation and cooperation.

Positively, there are already several initiatives that aim to support this. The Baseline
Assessment Survey is one example; the survey helps states to assess their current practice and
access examples from other states in order to identify what changes need to be made in order
to implement the ATT. Control Arms has started work towards producing an ATT Monitor to
coincide with the first CSP.

UN First Committee deliberations are underway and the majority of states welcome the ATTs
imminent entry-into-force, understanding the vital role this treaty will play in promoting
international peace and security, and as a success in the area of multi-lateral diplomacy.

David Mack, a senior advisor at Instituto Sou da Paz, a peace NGO in Brazil, summed up the
ATT victory and the work yet to be done in the following quote cited in the 50 celebrating 50
online exhibit.

Today is an absolutely historic day, but the fight to control the arms trade is far from over, he
said. It is the end of an exhausting walk but only the first step towards a more responsible arms
trade; the culmination of years (even decades, for some) of civil society efforts and yet only the
beginning of the challenging job to jostle the transition from paper to practice. Still, at moments
like these you get a glimpse of why MLK said, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends
towards justice.