The Control Arms Campaign is jointly run by a coalition of over 100 organisations including Amnesty International , IANSA , Oxfam International and Saferworld .
60-412: The campaign has been active since 2003 in calling for an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The campaign began due to the lack of regulation in the international trade in arms. Control Arms has argued that the lack of controls on the arms trade is fuelling armed conflict , poverty and human rights abuses worldwide. Even though existing treaties and pieces of international law exist that focus on
120-506: A change in leadership from George W. Bush to Barack Obama , on the condition they were "under the rule of consensus decision-making needed to ensure that all countries can be held to standards that will actually improve the global situation." The UN General Assembly of 2 April 2013 (71st Plenary Meeting) adopted the ATT as a resolution by a 154-to-3 vote with 23 abstentions. North Korea , Iran, and Syria voted in opposition. China and Russia, among
180-411: A civil society point of view, groups concerned about national sovereignty or individual rights to armed defense have been negative of the ATT. While not fundamentally opposed to an ATT, these groups are keenly sensitive to ensuring an ATT does not undermine national constitutional protections and individual rights. The most vocal and organized civil society groups opposing aspects of the ATT originated from
240-474: A combination of weak domestic regulation of authorised firearms possession with theft, loss or corrupt sale from official holdings tends to be a bigger source of weapons concern than illicit trafficking across borders." On 18 December 2006, UK Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control and Disarmament John Duncan formally introduced resolution 61/89, which requested that the UN Secretary-General seek
300-569: A conference of neutral countries to offer continuous mediation as a way of ending war. WPP sent representatives, among them the journalist and novelist Mary Heaton Vorse, to a subsequent International Women's Congress for Peace and Freedom, held in The Hague from April 28–30, 1915. The 1915 International Congress of Women was organized by the German feminist Anita Augspurg , Germany's first female jurist , and Lida Gustava Heymann (1868–1943) at
360-655: A group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates in a meeting in New York to offer the world a code of conduct for the trade in arms. This group included Elie Wiesel , Betty Williams , the Dalai Lama , José Ramos-Horta , representatives of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War , Amnesty International , and the American Friends Service Committee . The original idea was to establish ethical standards for
420-586: A parallel 'People's Consultation', holding events in over one hundred countries. The intention was to use ordinary people's voices to influence government's responses to the UN consultation. Whereas similar consultations usually result in ten to fifteen responses, when the UN Secretary-General presented the findings in 2007, the ATT consultation had received over one hundred. By 2009 the UN voted overwhelmingly in favour of convening negotiations on an ATT, with Zimbabwe
480-532: A record of states' votes for the final Resolution adopting the ATT, as well as a record of state signatures and ratifications. The main aim of the Control Arms campaign, achieving an international Arms Trade Treaty, was effectively met on April 2, 2013 when the United Nations voted to adopt the text agreed at the negotiating conference the previous month. The Treaty had been the work of a concerted campaign over
540-507: A year. The roots of what is known today as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) can be traced back to the late 1980s, when civil society actors and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates voiced their concerns about the unregulated nature of the global arms trade and its impact on human security . The ATT is part of a larger global effort begun in 1997 by Costa Rican President and 1987 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Óscar Arias . In that year, Arias led
600-527: Is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons . It entered into force on 24 December 2014. 113 states have ratified the treaty, and a further 28 states have signed but not ratified it. The ATT is an attempt to regulate the international trade of conventional weapons for the purpose of contributing to international and regional peace ; reducing human suffering; and promoting co-operation, transparency , and responsible action by and among states. The treaty
660-630: Is headquartered in Geneva and maintains a United Nations office in New York City . WILPF developed out of the International Women's Congress against World War I that took place in The Hague , Netherlands , in 1915 and the formation of the International Women's Committee of Permanent Peace; the name WILPF was not chosen until 1919. The first WILPF president, Jane Addams , had previously founded
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#1732858271739720-587: Is restricted to women, several male peace activists have contributed to WIPLF meetings and publications, including Bart de Ligt and J. D. Bernal . As long term supporters of the Permanent Court of Arbitration , Inter Parliamentary Union , League of Nations , International Labour Organization , International Peace Bureau and United Nations , they remain a flagship organisation in the Peace Movement. WILPF has had Consultative Status (category B) with
780-546: The International Action Network on Small Arms (who lead the Control Arms Campaign ) have developed analysis on what an effective ATT would look like. It would ensure that no transfer is permitted if there is substantial risk that it is likely to: Loopholes would be minimized. It would include: The Amnesty International website "loopholes" include shotguns marketed for deer hunting that are virtually
840-637: The Nobel Peace Prize for their peace efforts and international outlook and work with WILPF: Jane Addams, in 1931 and Emily Greene Balch in 1946. During the 1960s and 1970s, WILPF was involved in the Anti-war movement and worked to free political prisoners, such as Mrs. Ngo Ba Thanh , a Vietnamese activist and the leader of the Vietnamese Women's Movement for the Right to Live . Although WIPLF membership
900-695: The Syrian civil war . As of December 2022, 113 states have ratified or acceded to the ATT, including six of the world's top 10 arms producers (France, Germany, Spain, China, the United Kingdom and Italy). Twenty-one ratifying states provisionally applied articles 6 and 7 of the treaty, pending its entry into force. The strong support of the European Union for this treaty is seen in its ATT Outreach Project (ATT-OP) established by EU Council Decision 2013/768/CFSP. A further 28 states have signed but not ratified
960-754: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1948 and has Special Consultative Relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as well as special relations with the International Labour Organization (ILO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other organizations and agencies. WILPF has advocates and lobbies for
1020-590: The United Nations in 2006. On April 2, 2013 the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to adopt an international Arms Trade Treaty. The Arms Trade Treaty began as an idea in an NGO meeting in the 1990s. At the end of the decade, after successfully lobbying to bring about the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exporters, civil society groups worked with a group of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to draft proposals for
1080-732: The Woman's Peace Party in the United States, in January 1915, this group later became the US section of WILPF. Along with Jane Addams, Marian Cripps and Margaret E. Dungan were also founding members. The British Maude Royden remained vice president of the international WILPF. As of 1920 the US section of WILPF was headquartered in New York City. Marian Cripps, Baroness Parmoor , who later served as president of its British branch. Richard J. Evans described
1140-549: The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. WILPF moved its headquarters to Geneva to be near the proposed site of the League of Nations , although WILPF did not endorse empowering that organization to conduct food blockades or to use military pressure to enforce its resolutions. The League called for international disarmament and an end to economic imperialism . The US branch of WILPF grew in recognition and membership during
1200-679: The democratization of the UN, the Security Council , United Nations Disarmament Commission and all other UN organizations and agencies; monitors Security Council and General Assembly activities in order to promote reforms; opposes the privatisation and corporatisation of the UN, especially the global compact with corporations; and advocates for the abolition of the Security Council veto . Work areas Broad areas of concern are: The Women in Peace and Security Programme (WIPSEN or "PeaceWomen")
1260-542: The "end user" of a firearm , keep the information for 20 years, and provide the information to the country from which the gun was exported. In other words, if you bought a Beretta Shotgun , you would be an "end user" and the U.S. government would have to keep a record of you and notify the Italian government about your purchase. That is gun registration . If the U.S. refuses to implement this data collection on law-abiding American gun owners, other nations might be required to ban
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#17328582717391320-556: The 50th ratification. The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs claimed the treaty would not interfere with domestic arms commerce or the right to bear arms in its member states; ban the export of any type of weapon; harm the legitimate right to self-defence ; or undermine national arms regulation standards already in place. The Arms Trade Treaty obligates member states to monitor arms exports and ensure that weapons don't cross existing arms embargoes or end up being used for human-rights abuses, including terrorism . Member states, with
1380-429: The ATT must reinforce existing responsibilities to assist survivors of armed violence, as well as identify new avenues to address suffering and trauma. Opposition to the ATT can be broken down into state opposition and civil society opposition. Over thirty states have objected to various parts of the ATT during negotiations, the majority of which held strong concerns about the implications for national sovereignty . From
1440-578: The Arms Trade Treaty process, Control Arms worked closely with supportive governments in their campaign for a strong ATT. The campaign has maintained close relations with the co-authors of the original Resolution in 2006 - Argentina , Australia , Costa Rica , Finland , Japan , Kenya and the United Kingdom - as well as working closely with other supportive governments. The campaign, with teams focusing on legal and policy issues, has also provided expertise and support to states with limited resources at
1500-626: The EU welcomes the growing support, in all parts of the world, for an ATT." 94 States submitted their views, which are contained in the 2007 report A/62/278. In December 2006, 153 member states voted in favor of the resolution. Twenty-four countries abstained: Bahrain , Belarus , China , Egypt , India , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Kuwait , Laos , Libya , Marshall Islands , Nepal , Oman , Pakistan , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia , Sudan , Syria , UAE , Venezuela , Yemen , and Zimbabwe . Responding to procedural concerns that were not resolved before
1560-536: The Secretary-General to establish a group of governmental experts, on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, to examine the feasibility, scope, and draft parameters for such a legal instrument, and to transmit the report of the group of experts to the General Assembly for consideration at its sixty-third session. On 28 September 2007, the Secretary-General appointed a Group of Governmental Experts from
1620-470: The Treaty at the United Nations, saying: I return today, as a Rip Van Winkle of the modern era, to see that everything has changed except this. Peace continues to be a step further away. Nuclear and conventional weapons still exist despite the promises. It is up to us to ensure that in twenty years we do not awaken to the same terrors we suffer today. I am not ignorant of the fact that the biggest arms dealers in
1680-569: The UN General Assembly resolution starting the process on the ATT. The resolution explicitly states that it is "the exclusive right of States to regulate internal transfers of arms and national ownership, including through constitutional protections on private ownership." International non-government and human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Oxfam , the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, Saferworld , and
1740-497: The UN, the President of the final conference, Peter Woolcott , said that "[s]tates did not do this alone. It is important we recognize the enormous contribution of civil society who have been advocating for this Treaty for many years, who informed our negotiations and who have an important role in the years ahead". Although the main goal of the Control Arms campaign has been achieved - an international Arms Trade Treaty has been agreed -
1800-558: The US Section of ICWPP. Jane Addams met with President Woodrow Wilson and is said to have worked out some common ground on peace . However, at their second international congress, held in Zürich in 1919, ICWPP denounced the final terms of the peace treaty ending World War I as a scheme of revenge of the victors over the vanquished that would sow the seeds of another world war . They decided to make their committee permanent and renamed it
1860-551: The United Nations. In turn, members of Control Arms have also been members of delegations during the process, including with Finland, Mexico , New Zealand , Norway , Palau and the Solomon Islands . Control Arms have had a presence at all major meetings on the Arms Trade Treaty. In particular, representatives of the campaign participated in both UN negotiating conferences in July 2012 and March 2013, including making presentations on
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1920-740: The United States. These groups include the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), the National Shooting Sports Foundation , the Second Amendment Foundation , and The Heritage Foundation . The NRA and the Gun Owners of America say that the treaty is an attempt to circumvent the Second Amendment and similar guarantees in state constitutions in order to impose domestic gun regulations. One of
1980-518: The arms trade that would eventually be adopted by the international community . Over the following 16 years, the Arias Foundation for Peace & Human Progress has played an instrumental role in achieving approval of the treaty. In 2001, the process continued with the adoption of a non-legally binding program of action at the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms . This program
2040-500: The assistance of the U.N., will put into place enforceable, standardized arms import and export regulations (much like those that already exist in the U.S.) and be expected to track the destination of exports to ensure they do not end up in the wrong hands. Ideally, that means limiting the inflow of deadly weapons into places like Syria. Advocates of the treaty say that it only pertains to international arms trade, and would have no effect on current domestic laws. These advocates point to
2100-430: The campaign will continue to be involved in the Arms Trade Treaty process. Currently, Control Arms is pushing members to ask their state to sign the Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible. In the future, the campaign will seek to monitor states' compliance with the Arms Trade Treaty, and push for states to ensure strong and consistent application of the Treaty. Arms Trade Treaty The Arms Trade Treaty ( ATT )
2160-430: The co-authors ( Argentina , Australia , Costa Rica, Finland , France, Japan , and Kenya ). On behalf of the European Union , Finland highlighted the support for the effort, saying: "everyday, everywhere, people are affected by the side effects of irresponsible arms transfers ... As there is currently no comprehensive internationally binding instrument available to provide an agreed regulatory framework for this activity,
2220-570: The course of more than a decade, and is particularly noteworthy given the speed in which it was agreed, and that it was agreed through the UN system. The UN Conference on Disarmament has been at a stalemate for over 16 years. Comparative treaties, such as the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions , have had to find agreement outside the UN process. As an indication of the centrality of civil society groups including Control Arms to
2280-465: The end of 2009, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided by resolution A/RES/64/48 to convene a Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012 "to elaborate a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms". The decision was influenced by the change in position of the United States (the largest arms producer and only country voting against resolution 61/89), which took place upon
2340-546: The export of firearms to the U.S. On 12 July 2012, the United States issued a statement condemning the selection of Iran to serve as vice president of the conference. The statement called the move "outrageous" and noted that Iran is under UN Security Council sanctions for weapons proliferation. Canada was accused by Project Ploughshares , a Canadian human rights group, of violating the treaty, as well as its own laws, by selling "Group 2" types of high-tech imaging and targeting systems to Turkey to conduct its air campaigns in
2400-528: The final draft of the resolution, the UK said the aim of the initiative was to start a discussion on the feasibility and draft parameters of an Arms Trade Treaty, and that "agnostic" states would have a clear opportunity to engage in the process. After the vote, Algeria indicated that the effort must receive broad-based support from states and be based on the principles of the UN Charter . Resolution 61/89 also requested
2460-487: The following 28 countries: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia , Costa Rica, Cuba , Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia , Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico , Nigeria , Pakistan, Romania , Russia, South Africa , Spain , Switzerland , Ukraine , the United Kingdom, and United States. The group met three times in 2008, and published a final report on the issue. In 2009, Óscar Arias, then in his second term as President of Costa Rica, introduced
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2520-538: The founders of WILPF as "a tiny band of courageous and principled women on the far-left fringes of bourgeois-liberal feminism ". Furthermore, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is opposed to wars and international conflicts. The major movements of the league have been: open letter to UN secretary general to formally end the Korean War, a statement on weapons and an international day for
2580-632: The import, export and transfer of conventional arms". The ATT, like the PoA, is predicated upon a hypothesis that the illicit trade in small arms is a large and serious problem requiring global action through the UN. According to a well regarded 2012 Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution publication, "the relative importance of diversion or misuse of officially authorised transfers, compared to international entirely illegal black market trafficking has been thoroughly confirmed." The authors go on to elaborate that, "For most developing or fragile states,
2640-534: The international arms trade, none of them, before the Arms Trade Treaty, were legally binding and fully international. Since 2003 it has used a range of tactics to get its message across, including publicity stunts, mass public actions, petitions including the Million Faces campaign, worldwide public consultations, policy publications and the lobbying of politicians and diplomats across the world. The process towards creating an international Arms Trade Treaty began in
2700-585: The invitation of the Dutch pacifist , feminist and suffragist Aletta Jacobs to protest the war then raging in Europe , and to suggest ways to prevent war in the future. The Congress opened on April 28, wound up on May 1, and was attended by 1,136 participants from both neutral and belligerent nations . It adopted much of the platform of WPP and established an International Committee of Women for Permanent Peace (ICWPP) with Jane Addams as president. WPP soon became
2760-579: The largest sources of civil opposition to the ATT has come from the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), which is the lobbying arm of the NRA. In July 2012, ILA stated that: Anti-gun treaty proponents continue to mislead the public, claiming the treaty would have no impact on American gun owners. This is a bald-faced lie. For example, the most recent draft treaty includes export/import controls that would require officials in an importing country to collect information on
2820-404: The only vote against. States finally met In 2012 and 2013 to negotiate an ATT, all the while receiving significant input from civil society groups including Control Arms. On April 2, 2013, despite the objections of North Korea , Iran and Syria , the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to support the ATT, in a 156-3-22 vote. The ATT has been open for signature since June 3, 2013. Throughout
2880-774: The post-WWI era, despite some attacks on the organisation as "unpatriotic" during the First Red Scare . The WILPF supported treaties such as the Washington Naval Treaty and the Kellogg-Briand Pact , regarding them as stepping stones to a peaceful world order. During the 1930s, Vera Brittain was the WILPF's Vice-President. Prior to the outbreak of World War Two, the League also supported measures to provide relief for Europe's Jewish community. Two WILPF leaders have received
2940-446: The regulation of the international arms trade. In 2001, they began to circulate a "Draft Framework Convention on International Arms Transfers" and sought the support of governments around the world. In 2003, the Control Arms campaign began, campaigning for an international ATT in more than one hundred countries. One of the main elements of the early campaign was the 'Million Faces' petition. The petition brought together people from around
3000-468: The same as military/police shotguns and rifles marketed for long range target shooting that are virtually the same as military/police sniper rifles. Amnesty International advocates that the civilian guns must be included in any workable arms trade controls; otherwise, governments could authorize export/import of sporting guns virtually the same as military/police weapons in function. It must be workable and enforceable. It must: NGOs are also advocating that
3060-496: The success of the process, a number of states, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , and the President of the final negotiating conference all praised civil society for their contributions. Ban Ki-moon said that he commended "the members of civil society for their tireless campaigns, expert contributions and unwavering support". In a statement given whilst signing the Arms Trade Treaty as Australian Ambassador to
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#17328582717393120-584: The total elimination of nuclear weapons , gender-based violence and women human rights defenders . A forerunner to the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the Woman's Peace Party (WPP) was formed in January 1915 in Washington, D.C. , at a meeting called by Jane Addams and Carrie Chapman Catt . The approximately 3,000 women attendees approved a platform calling for the extension of suffrage to women and for
3180-518: The treaty: Women%27s International League for Peace and Freedom The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom ( WILPF ) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working "to bring together women of different political views and philosophical and religious backgrounds determined to study and make known the causes of war and work for a permanent peace " and to unite women worldwide who oppose oppression and exploitation . WILPF has national sections in 37 countries. The WILPF
3240-407: The views of UN member states on the feasibility, scope, and draft parameters for a "comprehensive, legally binding instrument establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms", and submit a report on the subject to the General Assembly. 94 states submitted their views, which are contained in the 2007 report A/62/278. Duncan was speaking on behalf of
3300-439: The views of civil society during plenary sessions. As part of the ongoing process, the campaign organised petitions and other activities to engage the public with the campaign, culminating in a global call to "Speak Out" to get states to support a strong Arms Trade Treaty. Control Arms, alongside Reaching Critical Will , also operated a website tracking states' positions on the Arms Trade Treaty . Since April 2013, it also holds
3360-437: The world are represented here. But today I do not speak to the arms manufacturers, but rather to the leaders of humanity, who have the responsibility to put principles before profits, and enable the promise of a future in which, finally, we can sleep peacefully. In that same year, an Open-ended Working Group—open to all States—held two meetings on an arms trade treaty. A total of six sessions of this Group were planned. However, at
3420-501: The world who had suffered from armed conflict and armed violence as well as other supporters. The petition reached its goal in 2006, and the petition was presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan by 'Millionth Face' Julius Arile, from Kenya . In 2006, UN Members voted to consider states' views on a potential Treaty and convene an expert group, with only the United States against. Alongside this consultation Control Arms conducted
3480-399: The world's leaders in weapon exports, were among the 23 nations that abstained. Cuba, India, Indonesia, Myanmar , Nicaragua , Saudi Arabia, and Sudan also abstained. Armenia , Dominican Republic , Venezuela, and Vietnam did not vote. The treaty was opened for formal signature by all states in New York on 3 June 2013. It entered into force on 24 December 2014, 90 days after the date of
3540-568: Was formally called the "Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects" (PoA). Later put forward in 2003 by a group of Nobel Peace Laureates, the ATT was first addressed in the UN in December 2006 when the General Assembly adopted resolution 61/89 "Towards an Arms Trade Treaty: establishing common international standards for
3600-410: Was negotiated in New York City at a global conference under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) from 2–27 July 2012. As it was not possible to reach an agreement on a final text at that time, a new meeting for the conference was scheduled for 18–28 March 2013. On 2 April 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted the ATT. International weapons commerce has been estimated to reach US$ 70 billion
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