Control Arms reaction to the new text on the final conference on the Arms Trade Treaty

Anna Macdonald, Oxfam’s Head of Arms Control, said:

“We see some improvements have been made since the last draft was issued but there are still some important problems with the new text.

“The scope of what would be covered in the treaty is still too narrow. We need a treaty that covers all conventional weapons, not just some of them.

“The criteria by which governments assess whether to authorize an arms transfer also need to be unambiguous.

“There are 24 hours to go before the end of this conference. The 103 states who so clearly said on Monday they wanted a strong text must not give up.

“They must spend the remaining time we have ensuring we get a robust treaty agreed tomorrow [March 28].

“We need to have a treaty that will send a clear message to human rights abusers and dictators that their time is up. We need a treaty that will make a difference to the lives of the people living in Congo, Mali, Syria and elsewhere who suffer each day from the impacts of armed violence.”