Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

 

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the imminent entry into force of the landmark Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which seeks to regulate the global trade in conventional arms.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday Dec 23,2014 that it would mark "the opening of a new chapter in our collective efforts to bring responsibility, accountability and transparency to the global arms trade"

The ATT was adopted April 2, 2013 by the UN General Assembly (UNGA). As of Dec 23, 60 states have ratified the treaty and 130 have signed it, indicating that they intend to ratify it.

States that have ratified the ATT are required to assess the impact of any arms transfer on human rights and international humanitarian law.

"From now on, the states (which are) parties to this important treaty will have a legal obligation to apply the highest common standards to international transfers of weapons and ammunition," Ban said.

"The speed with which the ATT came into force -- less than two years since its historic adoption by the UNGA -- is testimony to the commitment of states, international organisations and (the) civil society to stop irresponsible arms transfers," Ban's statement said.



The treaty would enter into force Wednesday Dec 24,2014