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First Arms Trade Treaty welcomed by global church bodies

Global church bodies have welcomed the world’s first arms trade treaty as an important step forward following news of its passing at the UN in New York this week.

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was adopted by the UN on 2nd April after 154 countries voted in favour, three – Iran, Syria and North Korea – against and 23 abstained.

PICTURE: Siarhei Fedarenka/www.istockphoto.com

The treaty – which UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described as an “historic diplomatic achievement” – puts in place common binding standards to be applied by UN member states to all international weapons transfers including those of tanks, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, warships and missiles, as well as small arms and light weapons.

It prohibits arms sales for the commission of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, terrorist acts and grave human rights violations.

Rev Dr Olav Fyske Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said the treaty was a “milestone in efforts to bring commerce in deadly weapons under much-needed controls”.

“This long overdue act of international governance means that people in many parts of the world who live in fear for their lives will eventually be safer.”

The World Evangelical Alliance commended the UN for passing the new treaty. Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general of the WEA, congratulated the UN and activists “who worked for almost a decade to get this important treaty passed”.

In Australia, Alistair Gee, executive director of Act For Peace – the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia and part of the Control Arms coalition and the World Council of Churches’ campaign for an Arms Trade Treaty, said the treaty was an “enormous victory for human rights”.

“Until now, there has been nothing in place to prevent the sale of weapons to regimes where they could be used to kill civilians,” he said. “If this treaty had been in place 18 months ago, countries like Russia would not have been free to continue to sell arms to Syria without regard to the devastation taking place there.”

The treaty, which was co-authored by Australia, will come into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 UN member states.

~ www.oikoumene.org

~ www.worldevangelicals.org/att/

~ www.actforpeace.org.au

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