The post Marking 10 Years Of The ATT: Successes And Challenges first appeared on Control Arms.
]]>Progress and challenges
Reflecting on a Decade of the Arms Trade Treaty
24 December2024 marks a decade since the ATT entered into force—a milestone in global efforts to bring transparency and accountability to the conventional arms trade.
On December 24, 2024, we will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a groundbreaking legal instrument that established international standards for regulating conventional arms transfers with the explicit goal of reducing human suffering. This historic milestone is a testament to the tireless efforts of campaigners, governments, and civil society to bring transparency and accountability to the global arms trade. Over the past decade, the ATT has made significant strides, yet it continues to face challenges that require renewed commitment from the international community.
Achievements Over the Decade
Since its entry into force, the ATT has seen significant progress in universalization and implementation.
With 116 States Parties and 26 signatories, the Treaty has gained broad support across all regions of the world. ATT States Parties have undertaken measures to align their national legislation with the Treaty’s provisions, enhancing the regulation of international arms transfers and promoting transparency. For example, some ATT States Parties have established comprehensive national control systems regulating the export, import, transit, and brokering of conventional arms, in compliance with Treaty obligations. Others have implemented export control laws and designated competent national authorities to oversee arms transfers. Additionally, States Parties have adopted national control lists, established mechanisms for end-user certification to prevent the diversion of arms, and strengthened their arms export licensing processes to include comprehensive risk assessments.
These efforts exemplify the ATT community’s commitment to responsible arms trade and the effective implementation of the Treaty’s provisions.
Ongoing Challenges
Despite the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) establishing international standards to regulate arms transfers and reduce human suffering, significant challenges persist. A considerable number of major arms-producing states remain outside the treaty. Reporting compliance has been inconsistent, and some ATT States Parties have not fully adhered to its provisions, undermining its effectiveness. Over the past decade, weapons and munitions have continued to flow into brutal armed conflicts and situations of repression. Notably, some ATT States Parties have approved arms transfers into contexts where serious violations of international law have been documented, including Myanmar, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Sudan, and Yemen.
Control Arms calls for all States Parties to fully adhere to the ATT’s provisions and for the international community to strengthen mechanisms ensuring compliance, thereby upholding the Treaty’s fundamental goal of reducing human suffering.
Looking Forward
As we enter the second decade of the ATT, it is crucial to address these challenges. Enhancing transparency, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and encouraging universalization of the ATT are essential steps toward realizing the treaty’s full potential. The international community must renew its commitment to the ATT’s objectives to ensure it effectively contributes to reducing human suffering and promoting global peace and security.
On this milestone, Control Arms reaffirms its commitment to advocating for robust implementation of the ATT and calls on all States to intensify their efforts to uphold the ATT’s object and purpose: to reduce human suffering. It also urges states to join the Treaty if they have not yet done so, and to ensure its robust and meaningful implementation. By working together, we can continue to transform the global arms trade and make the vision of the ATT a reality: a safer world with less human suffering.
As we reflect on a decade of progress, we look forward to building on prior achievements and addressing ongoing challenges in the years to come.
Other Resources
Warpod: Ten years of the Arms Trade Treaty
Saferworld
🎙️ Reflect on a decade of the Arms Trade Treaty with Saferworld’s latest Warpod episode. Join experts Roy Isbister and Elizabeth Kirkham as they discuss the ATT’s successes, challenges, and future prospects.
Reflections on the Arms Trade Treaty at 10
Rachel Stohl, Stimson
Discover key insights into the successes, challenges, and future priorities of the Arms Trade Treaty as it marks its 10th anniversary in this reflective piece by the Stimson Center
ATT Milestones
Key Arms Trade Treaty Milestones in the last decade.
2013
Adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty
On 2 April 2013, the Arms Trade Treaty was adopted by a vote of 154 in favour, 3 against, and 23 abstentions. It opened for signature on June 3rd, 2013! This marked a historic step towards regulating the international arms trade.
On 3 June 2013, the ATT opened for signatures. Sixty-seven countries sign the treaty on the opening day.
2014
Entry into Force
On 24 September 2014, only a year and a half after it opened for signatures, the ATT reached the 50 required ratifications and triggered the treaty’s entry into force, thus becoming the fastest growing UN treaty.
2015
First Conference of States Parties and Entry into Force
On 24 – 27 August 2015, the First Conference of States Parties (CSP1) was held in Cancun, Mexico and was presided over by Ambassador Jorge Lomónaco of Mexico.
On24 December 2015, the Arms Trade Treaty entered into force with 61 ratifications and 130 signatures.
2019
100 States Parties
On 14 December 2019, The Treaty reaches 100 States Parties, following Mozambique’s ratification.
2024
10th Conference of States Parties
On 19 – 23 August 2024, the Tenth Conference of States Parties (CSP10) of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was held in Geneva, Switzerland and was presided over by Ambassador Razvan Rusu of Romania.
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]]>The post Gender, Conventional Weapons and the Arms Trade Treaty – A 2022 Review first appeared on Control Arms.
]]>A side event organized byControl Arms, Small Arms Survey, UNIDIR and WILPF
the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the ATT
This event provided the opportunity for a wide range of actors from the United Nations to civil society to discuss how they were taking forward the Arms Trade Treaty’s (ATT) obligations and commitments on gender. Ms. Hana Salama, Researcher – UNIDIR, who moderated the discussions, briefly presented the recent publication ‘Gender & the ATT Factsheet’, prepared by UNIDIR and Control Arms, which examines gender across all areas of the ATT. Ms. Salama recalled that under the ATT, gender is not only about gender-based violence (GBV), but is also key to other Treaty provisions, including on the prevention of diversion.
Ms. Vera Kissling, Deputy Head of Export Control and Private Security Services, Division of Security Policy (Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland) explained that promotion of gender equality is at the core of Switzerland’s disarmament and non-proliferation policy. This goal will be built on during Switzerland’s membership of the UN Security Council from 2023 to 2024. Ms. Kissling called for enhanced dialogue between government officials, licensing officers in particular, and the civil society on how to implement the Article 7.4 provisions related to GBV.
Ms. Cindy Ebbs, Co-Director at Control Arms, gave an overview of the Control Arms ‘ATT Gender Action Plan’ Project. Acknowledging that the ATT is a critical contribution to global efforts to address GBV, Ms. Ebbs stressed that the ATT represents a significant achievement toward broader UN efforts to mainstream gender issues in global policy and practice. In particular, Ms. Ebbs pointed out that the decisions taken at the Fifth Conference of States Parties (CSP5) to the ATT represented a key step forward and raised the profile of gender and GBV within the context of the ATT. These revolved around three areas:
- Gender-balanced representation in ATT-related decision-making processes;
- Gendered impact of armed violence in the context of the ATT; and
- Implementation of GBV-related risk assessment.
Following up on CSP5, Control Arms has now completed the first phase of its ‘ATT Gender Action Plan’ project. The project explores how gender can be mainstreamed into ATT practice in a more holistic way and through an actionable, effective, and results-based plan, and sets the stage for the CSP5 commitments to take root in the fabric of the CSP for years to come, and for further discussions exploring interlinkages between the ATT and GBV
Ms. Ebbs presented the key project components, which are:
- a collective methodology to monitor progress towards the implementation of CSP5 decisions and recommendations. The methodology provides a comprehensive view of how gender and GBV should be factored into the ATT and related processes.
- an ATT stakeholder survey; and case studies containing examples of positive action. The survey is intended for State Parties and responses will provide valuable information on the implementation of CSP5 gender and GBV related commitments that may not be publicly available. In this regard, the survey is expected to fill existing gaps in knowledge, information sharing, and reporting. The methodology is useful not only for State Parties, but also for signatories to become ATT ‘gender champions’ (and this may faciliate implementation of other Treaty obligations once they become State Parties).
- short case studies on States Parties that demonstrate exceptional work in the gender and GBV areas. In the context of the ATT, highlighting these positive examples can serve as guidance, especially for States that are at different stages with regard to the implementation of gender and GBV commitments and more broadly to their gender evolution.
By developing a solid tool to measure and record progress made on gender and GBV on an annual basis, Control Arms seeks to sustain momentum, to encourage further discussions on the topics of gender and GBV, and to ensure that these issues remain at the forefront of ATT work.
Ms. Mimidou Achakpa, Women’s Right to Education Programme, presented initiatives undertaken to prevent and address the gendered impact of armed violence in Nigeria. After explaining the nexus between insurgency, violence, and gender issues, which is key to understanding and mitigating the effects of conflicts, Ms. Achakpa presented Nigeria’s work to operationalize UNSCR 1325 and the relevant National Action Plan, which is currently being reviewed. Initiatives include the establishment of a Gender Advisor in the Nigeria Police Force, the introduction of gender sensitive programming, and a Guide on Nigerian legislature’s role in advancing the WPS Resolutions, which provides direction in passing gender bills into law.
Ms. Folade Mutota, Executive Director and one of the three founders of the Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD), spoke about initiatives undertaken in the area of violence reduction at the community level, and the social and gender impact of legislation to control the use of illicit firearms.
Ms Mutota noted that WINAD’s research, A Pilot Study on the Role of Women in Communities: The Case of East Port of Spain is the first and only inquiry into the role of women in reducing, facilitating or preventing armed violence in Trinidad and Tobago and set out to prioritize women’s leadership roles and women’s well-being in violent spaces and understand how women experience violence. WINAD was particularly interested in the transactional nature of the women’s relationships with stakeholders, police and gangs, and found a fairly evolved understanding of the impact of extrinsic motivation and contingent reward.
Ms Mutota underlined that understanding and positioning women’s leadership role in communities requires engagement with the intersecting forms of inequalities and discrimination that are common to women’s lived experience and the masculinized norms related to security which characterize leadership in underserved communities, and situations of conflict.
Ms. Natasa Loizou, Executive Director of the National Controlled Materials Agency of Argentina, explained the role and functions of the newly established Agency. Ms. Loizou spoke about how progress had been made in the area of gender and GBV, which included the adoption of national regulations addressing national programming related to sexual education; the introduction of a legal concept of femicide; creation of a national Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity; and introduction of an inter-ministerial program with the objective of adopting a comprehensive approach to extreme violence motivated by reasons concerning gender.
Ms. Loizou also presented figures from the national registry of femicides, showing that around 25 per cent of femicides are committed with firearms. Ms. Loizou stressed the importance of gathering such gender disaggregated data at the national level.
Mr. Callum Watson, Gender Coordinator at the Small Arms Survey, introduced the Small Arms Survey’s Global Violent Deaths (GVD) database, presenting some figures and trends in violence perpetrated with firearms against women. Mr. Watson also referred to the Small Arms Survey’s Briefing Paper titled, At Whose Risk? Understanding States Parties’ Implementation of Arms Trade Treaty Gender-based Violence Provisions.
One of the main findings of the paper is that no State Party has publicly indicated nor reported denial of transfers based on GBV criteria. Mr. Watson underlined that it is crucial to encourage states to provide details on cases of denial. Mr. Watson also highlighted that it is paramount to empower civil society organizations to contribute to research agendas on gender and GBV topics; to provide capacity building for data collection, analysis, and reporting; and to foster joint processes between the WPS agenda and the ATT.
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]]>The post The 8th Biennial Meeting of States on the PoA first appeared on Control Arms.
]]>Adopted in 2000, the PoA is a politically (non-legally binding) document that establishes a normative framework aimed to “prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects”. With the adoption of the PoA, UN member states have committed to develop and strengthen national legislation, regulations and systems including transfer controls, stockpile management related to small arms and light weapons in order to prevent their illicit trade and diversion. The PoA was complemented by the adoption of the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) in 2005. The ITI enables States to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner, illicit small arms and light weapons.
As agreed at BMS7 last 26–30 July 2021, the main focus of BMS8 was to enhance modalities and procedures of international cooperation assistance. Noting “the benefit of coordinated action, with a view to preventing and reducing the risks of diversion, illicit manufacturing and trafficking of small arms and light weapons” (para. 59), the BMS8 outcome document contains several references to the importance of strengthening cooperation, subregional, regional and cross-regional coordination, promoting information sharing and reinforcing national control measures.
SYNERGIES WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS AND FRAMEWORKS
One of the main contentions during the BMS8 open debate was the formal recognition of synergies between the PoA and other instruments and frameworks, including the ATT, Firearms Protocol, Women Peace and Security, the Secretary General’s Agenda for Disarmament. A number of states from Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific pointed to the importance of linking the PoA with other international frameworks as a way to ensure harmonization and coordination of implementation efforts at the national and regional level.
In particular, the EU emphasized that the prevention of diversion of illicit small arms and light weapons constitutes the undeniable link between the PoA and ATT, especially with the incoming first meeting of the Diversion Information and Exchange Forum, expected to take place at the Eights Conference of States Parties to the ATT (CSP8). However, other UN Member states, including Cuba, Egypt, Iran, remain firm in their belief that the PoA, which was adopted by consensus, must not be linked to documents which do not benefit from the universal support of all UN member states.
In support of synergies with the ATT and other instruments, the BMS8 final document included in para. 34 a commitment by states to “ensure that international humanitarian law and international human rights law are taken into consideration in national small arms and light weapons transfer decisions.” This paragraph reaffirms and strengthens the original provision in the UNPoA which requires states to assess the risk that the goods will be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of relevant international law. The ATT, through Article 7, includes a list of the potential risks states should and must consider when making an export decision, including whether the arms could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law or human rights law.
FOCUS ON NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The outcome document also includes provisions related to 3D printing (see 13, 37, 69, 73, 75, 81) and the establishment of an open-ended technical expert group to develop recommendations to fully implement the PoA and ITI in light of recent developments in SALW manufacturing (para 75). Gender mainstreaming was also retained in the final document in para. 9, encouraging states to address the differential impact of the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons on women, men, girls and boys in the implementation of both the PoA and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI). Similarly, the document stressed the importance of equal, meaningful, and effective participation of women (para 50), the collection of data dissaggregated sex, age, and disability (para 51), and the differential impact of illicit SALW on women, men, girls and boys (para 54) while paragraph 53 recognize that “eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons contributes to combating gender-based violence and sexual violence in conflict.”
AMMUNITION
After much discussion at BMS8, ammunition remains outside of the final document.The only reference to this important issue in the outcome documents is simply the recognition of the establishment of the Open-ended Working Group addressing existing gaps in through-life ammunition management (para 19). References to ammunition were included for the first time in the outcome document of the 3rd Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms (June 2018). However, since then, states, particularly from Latin America and Africa regional groups, have been unsuccessful in securing support for the inclusion of references to ammunition in subsequent outcome documents.
MOVING FORWARD
BMS8 concluded with positive developments with regard to gender and measured progress in terms of incorporating new technologies into its scope. However, its omission of ammunition continues to limit the PoA in following a comprehensive approach toward combating armed violence fueled by the illicit arms trade. Also concerning was the continued firm stance by a number of states to limit reference to consensus-based international instruments, rather than taking an inclusive approach when it comes to synergies with other instruments, limits cooperation among states at national, regional and international level. Failing again this year to directly acknowledge and identify mutually reinforcing international instruments, such as the Arms Trade Treaty and the Firearms Protocol is a missed opportunity.
With the advancement of the technology around the production of SALW, and the ever complex contexts of conflicts all over the world, discussions on consensus around the PoA must expand to include all other existing efforts to stop armed violence. States now should seize the opportunity to build stronger PoA implementation in these and other ways in the upcoming fourth United Nations Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in 2024 (RevCon 4).
The final BMS8 document, along with the daily briefings, are available through the website of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), the official coordinator of civil society participation at BMS8. Access these documents here.
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