The UK supports the development of an international Arms Trade Treaty.

What will it do?

An Arms Trade Treaty would be a legally binding agreement between States that they will all use the same high standard criteria in assessing whether to export conventional arms. This will help regulate the global arms market to prevent weapons reaching the hands of terrorists, insurgents and human rights abusers. For example, this would stop weapons reaching those who use them to:

• undermine stability and democracy
• harm development
• abuse human rights.

The UK taking forward an ATT in the UN

Securing a robust ATT is a very high priority for the UK. We have maintained a leading global position in supporting the UN process since introducing the initial Resolution in December 2006 calling for UN work towards an ATT.

The Resolution was co-authored with 6 countries, Australia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Finland, Kenya and Japan.

We work closely with NGOs, the defence industry, and internationally to take this forward.

ATT re-launch

The Foreign Secretary re-launched the UK’s ATT strategy on 9 September this year by chairing an expert panel discussion with more than 50 delegates representing the international business community, NGOs, faith groups, civil society, the UK arms industry and the media. An effective ATT will bring benefits across society.

Watch more video clips from the ATT event on the FCO YouTube channel: ATT YouTube playlist

Current progress to an ATT

In October 2008, the UK and the 6 original co-authors introduced a Resolution in the UN calling for further detailed work in 2009 in the UN on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

116 countries agreed to co-sponsor the Resolution– this means that they fully supported the text of the Resolution and wanted to be associated with it.

The vote, on 31 October, confirmed the overwhelming level of support for work towards an ATT, with 88% of States present, totalling 147 countries, voting in favour. 18 states abstained from voting and only 2, the US and Zimbabwe, voted against.

What does the Resolution do?

The Resolution builds on the outcome of the previous UN work in 2007 and 2008 towards an ATT, which culminated in August with a report by the Chair of the 28 member UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE).

The Resolution allows for the whole UN membership to work up those elements of the GGE report where consensus could be developed for inclusion into an eventual legally-binding treaty.

The text of the Resolution is at United Nations General Assembly website.

The UN process and submissions from states (including the UK’s views on an Arms Trade Treaty, which were submitted to the UN on 12 March 2007) are available on the UN Disarmament website.

UK Ambassador for Arms Control and Disarmament

John Duncan, Britain's ambassador for multilateral arms control and disarmament, said in an interview:

"[An ATT] has to be as universal as possible. Some of us are manufacturers, but all nations are
suppliers at one stage or another. And it's by closing those loopholes that we can stop arms
flowing into the hands of criminals and terrorists."

Read full statement: John Duncan statement: Conventional Weapons Cluster 21/10/2008

Find out about the work of the UK ATT team, led by Ambassador John Duncan, on John Duncan's blog.

Why do we need an Arms Trade Treaty?

The arms market is increasingly complex and global. Existing regional and national arms export control systems don’t give complete, global coverage and are often inconsistent with each other - this creates gaps which are being exploited so arms can pass onto the illicit market. A global ATT would close these gaps.

Better international standards for arms trading

The inconsistencies between current export license arrangements causes uncertainty which impacts on:

• the ability of states to deliver their sustainable development agenda
• hampers the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

On the Commercial front:

• it hinders investment in research and development
• limits international collaboration and production 
• and causes delays to the approval of legitimate exports.

If all countries adopt common criteria for export control it will make it more straightforward, transparent and objective to trade arms. This will be good for business, both manufacturing and export sales.

The Treaty is NOT:

• a disarmament treaty
• concerned with domestic or national policies on gun ownership
• intended to affect any state’s sovereign right to self-defence and its acquisition of arms to do so
• intended to affect the right of a state to decide nationally on their arms export controls.

How would an ATT work?

Each state would remain in control of its arms export control arrangements, but would be legally obliged to assess arms exports, case-by-case, against the criteria agreed under the Treaty.

The criteria would be based on existing obligations and commitments to prevent human rights abuse, uphold international humanitarian law, and to promote stability, prosperity and security.

States would have to assess and authorise such transfers in writing and in advance.

How will the Treaty be enforced?

This will need to be agreed. The UK envisages that it will be implemented through national legislation.

Who supports an ATT?

In 2006, at the UN General Assembly 153 states voted for a UN resolution to take forward work towards an ATT. 24 countries abstained and 1 voted against.

In 2007, 100 states submitted their views on a Treaty to the UN (an unprecedented number).

In August 2008, a 28-member UN Group of Governmental Experts’ report called for further UN consideration of an ATT.

In September 2008, representatives from 20 African Governments, members of civil society, African and Other regional organisations concluded at a meeting in Nairobi that negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty should commence within the United Nations as a matter of urgency.

In early October 2008, representatives of CARICOM states recommended that negotiation on an ATT should commence within the UN as soon as possible, but no later than 2010, and that these negotiations should lead to the creation of an effective ATT, which would promote human security and development.

Throughout this period there has been sustained strong support for an ATT from civil society, NGOs and the defence industry.

In late October 2008, at the First Committee of the UN a total of 116 countries co-sponsored the Resolution calling for further work in 2009 in the UN towards an ATT and 147 countries voted in favour. 18 abstained and 2 voted against.  This is even stronger support than at the same stage in 2006.

The 2008 General Assembly vote will be in December.