The long journey towards an Arms Trade Treaty - 27 March 2013

Headline Title:  The Arms Trade Treaty journey Sometimes a simple but potentially revolutionary idea can change the world for the better.But it often takes a crisis to galvanize people to take action. Sometimes a simple but potentially revolutionary idea can change the world for the better. But it often takes a crisis to galvanize people to take action, and that's how the idea for a global Arms Trade Treaty was born. Media Node:  ATT graveyard London Twitter Tag:  ArmsTreaty Story Location:  United Kingdom 51° 29' 17.6064" N, 0° 3' 57.3048" W See map: Google Maps “The global arms trade is hugely dominated by about 20 exporting countries and a handful of very large import-dependent countries, with the USA, EU, Russia and China at the top. So getting that balance right to have all or most of the trade included while winning a robust treaty is not at all easy, but that's what we're going to have to do.” Source:  Brian Wood, Head of Arms Control and Human Rights “The originality of the Arms Trade Treaty idea was that – for the first time in history – states would have to consider international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as international criminal law, as a basis on which to decide whether an arms transfer across borders should go ahead. That is the kernel of the idea of the ATT, and it came from a few of us in a little room in Amnesty. And it's still the centre of the negotiations” Source:  Brian Wood URL:  Arms control and human rights Description:  Campaign page URL:  Control Arms Description:  Control Arms coalition