WUNRN
NO UN ARMS TRADE TREATY
BUT STRONG ADVOCACY TO LINK GENDER & WOMEN'S RIGHTS TO THE ARMS TRADE
IANSA Women's Network - Rebecca Gerome
International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)
UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty: http://www.un.org/disarmament/ATT/
After a month of intense negotiations, the Arms Trade Treaty
Diplomatic Conference has ended without a treaty. The Chair, Ambassador Moritan
of Argentina, stated, “my apologies are very deep because I was not up to the
circumstances.” It is not the end, however. There will be other opportunities,
among them at the General Assembly.
Mexico made a statement on behalf of 90 states declaring: “We are
determined to secure an Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible. One thatwould
bring about a safer world for the sake of all humanity.”
In terms of our advocacy linking gender and women's rights to the
arms trade, we have made big strides. Considering that diplomats involved in
the ATT process did not think gender had anything to do with this treaty when
we began, the fact that gender-based violence made it into the draft with such
widespreadsupport shows that IANSA Women’s voices have been heard. The
prominence and acknowledgement of GBV is an achievement in itself and will
serve as a goodbasis to continue to make the links between gender and small
arms control. We can hold governments accountable and begin to create a new
norm, that the risk of gender-based violence must be considered before
approving international arms transfers.
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Direct Link to Full
4-Page Policy Paper: http://www.iansa-women.org/sites/default/files/Joint_policy_paper_gender_att_final_june2012.pdf
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