Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski signed the Million Faces Petition today in support of the CONTROL ARMS campaign. This petition illustrates the vast number of people who believe the arms trade is out of control and a set of universal standards need to be agreed by governments to limit the flow of arms to where there is a clear danger that they will be used to violate human rights.
The CONTROL ARMS campaign is calling for an international arms trade treaty covering all arms transfers as well as regional and local appropriate measures to limit arms proliferation and misuse through a set of common standards based on international humanitarian law.
The campaign was launched in 70 countries across the world in October 2003 by Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA). The massive spread of arms in the world has a devastating effect on local communities. The impact is greatest on the poorer sections of society.
The non-governmental organisation Journalists for Rights of Women and Children and Environmental Protection (JWCE) is an active promoter of the ongoing campaign in Macedonia. Through their activities the President of Macedonia, Mr Branko Crvenkovski has signed the Petition, which he has called the ‘Million Persons’. Macedonia is the first country in the region to publicly declare its support for an Arms Trade Treaty.
In the forthcoming weeks, Journalists for Rights of Women and Children and Environmental Protection intends to lobby the Deputies of the Macedonian Assembly and members of the Government to add their signatures to the Million Persons Petition.
President Crvenkovski and representatives from Journalists for Rights of Women and Children and Environmental Protection will meet to discuss how they can cooperate on the issue with the immediate purpose to design a letter about the Arms Trade Treaty to other governments in the region. |
