The Control Arms campaign has launched a Global Parliamentary Action. Control Arms is calling for MPs around the world to give their personal support for a global Arms Trade Treaty, and ask them to carry forward the initiative within their own Parliaments.
Selected achievements to date:
Global launch of Parliamentary Action in Mexico
Parliamentarians from over 20 countries gathered in Mexico City from 19 to 21 October 2005 for the annual meeting of the International Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The meeting included representatives from the parliaments of Argentina, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Ghana, Kenya, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Germany, Spain, Finland, Sweden and the European Parliament. In the closing declaration, the Forum supported the idea of an international Arms Trade Treaty and committed itself to working towards the establishment of a Treaty within the UN process.
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) considers small arm
Small arms control will be on the agenda of the IPU Assembly in Nairobi (Kenya), 7-12 May 2006. The report of the rapporteurs is available here. A draft resolution has been prepared and is available here.
Africa
Regional parliamentary workshop on implementing the Nairobi Protocol
On 8-9 December 2005 in Mombasa (Kenya), 70 parliamentarians from the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA); the Great Lakes Parliamentary Forum on Peace - AMANI Forum; the East African Legislative Assembly; parliamentarians from Member States signatory to the Nairobi Protocol (Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) and Angola attended a regional workshop on the harmonisation of firearm legislation. Click here for more information.
Senegal ratifies UN Firearm Protocol
The Parliament voted for Senegal to ratify the UN Firearms Protocol on 27 December 2005, as a result of advocacy from IANSA members. Click here to read more about the campaign in Senegal. Click here to read more about the Protocol.
Senegal – Training workshop and Photo Exhibition
Amnesty International – Senegal together with MPs from the Defence and Security Commission of the National Assembly, and MPs from the ECOWAS parliament, organised a training seminar in November 2005. The seminar was based around the Control Arms Campaign, the transformation of the ECOWAS moratorium into a legally binding instrument
IANSA members in Senegal (Amnesty International – Senegal, Oxfam, MALAO, Raddho, Afstrag, ICRC, Handicap International, UNHCR, UNICEF) have put up an exhibition in the National Assembly which was up until 15 December 2005.
Somalia – parliamentarians support for ATT
70 Somali parliament members verbally stated their support for the Arms Trade Treaty in November 2005. GLED Somalia, an IANSA member, is lobbying parliament members to support the ATT. The Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister joined the government members who verbally accepted to support the ATT as a constitutional issue. Click here to read more about the campaign in Somalia.
Americas
Peru – Round Table Discussion at the Senate
In November 2005 Amnesty International - Peru organized an event at the Senate, and displayed the Control arms photo exhibition and discussed the ATT and the campaign with senators - They organised a round table meeting with several senators to discuss the principles of the ATT.
US
Proposed new legislation would add measures for destroying stockpiles of conventional arms to the existing agreements between the US and other countries for destroying weapons of mass destruction. The Lugar-Obama bill was introduced by Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. From 1 February 2006, it is being considered by this Committee.
Asia and Pacific
India – MP signs Model Parliamentary Resolution
Mr Anat Rao M.Gudhe from the Amravati District of Maharashtra and member of the Shivsena party, has shown his personal support and signed the Model Parliamentary Resolution on Small Arms and Light Weapons. This was the result of advocacy by Medicovet Rural Welfare Society, an IANSA member in India.
Europe
EU Parliament supports Arms Trade Treaty
The European Parliament passed an extensive resolution on 17 November 2005, supporting an Arms Trade Treaty and urging that the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports become legally binding, among many other measures. Click here to read the resolution.
Italy – Motion in Parliament
Over 100 Italian national parliamentarians signed a formal motion requesting that the Italian government support an Arms Trade Treaty on 27 October 2005. The event in Rome was covered by a number of media outlets, including Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian Catholic Church. The event was organised by the Italian Control Arms campaign partners.
Spain – Parliament passes resolution
On 13 December 2005, the parliament voted unanimously in favour of a resolution requiring the government to present revised arms control legislation during 2006. This was the result of a campaign by Control Arms partners. The revised legislation must ensure that arms transfers scrupulously obey the EU Code of Conduct and that any authorisations are fully transparent. The parliament has also specified minimum reporting requirements.
Sweden – Motions in favour of Arms Trade Treaty
By the end of 2005, there were four parliamentary motions, from the major parties in the Swedish Parliament, that call for Swedish support of the ATT.
On 23 November 2005 at a seminar on the ATT in the Swedish Foreign Minister announced that Sweden supports an ATT. She described the ATT and its principles as instruments that will allow the global community to reduce atrocities committed by small arms. The seminar was organised by the Swedish Parliamentary Association on Small Arms and the Swedish Action Network of Small Arms.
Sweden – Parliamentary Screening of ‘Lord of War’
In November, members of the Swedish Action Network on Small Arms (SANSA) together with the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons organised a parliamentary screening of the film ‘Lord of War’
Switzerland - announces support for an ATT
The Swiss Senate voted without opposition for a postulate asking the Government to "engage itself actively and publicly for the creation of an Arms trade treaty" on 15 December 2005. The Foreign Minister, Mrs. Micheline Calmy-Rey, accepted the Postulate later the same day.
UK – Parliamentary Screening of ‘Lord of War’
On 1 November, Amnesty International UK and Oxfam GB organised a parliamentary screening of the film ‘Lord of War’ at the Houses of Parliament. Starring Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke and Ian Holm, ‘Lord of War’ illustrates why the Control Arms Campaign are calling on governments to tighten global arms controls and negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Several parliamentarians and lots of parliamentary researchers attended the screening and signed up to the Million Faces petition. |
