ATT Monitor, Vol. 11, No. 2
Editorial: A look back to move forward
21 August 2018
Allison Pytlak
"The death toll from small arms dwarfs that of all other weapons systems. In terms of the carnage they cause, small arms, indeed, could be described as 'weapons of mass destruction.' Yet there is still no global non-proliferation regime to limit their spread." – Kofi A. Annan
The opening day of the Fourth Conference of States Parties (CSP4) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) began on a sober note, with a moment of silence to remember Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the kind of genuinely inspiring leader that only comes along once in a generation.
Incidentally, Mr. Annan also played a central role in the early days of the UN process to negotiate the ATT, as the delegation of Ghana reminded delegates on Monday. He came into the role of Secretary-General just as a General Assembly-mandated study on the excessive and destabilising accumulation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) revealed the extent to which UN agencies were dealing with the issue, bringing it to the fore.
The study provided impetus for later political action, such as the 2001 UN Programme of Action on the illicit trade in SALW (UNPoA). Years later in 2006, Annan was the recipient of the “Million Faces” petition, which was organised by the three non-governmental organisations that formed the Control Arms Coalition and highlighted the calls of one million people from around the world in support of an ATT. Shortly after the petition handover, the General Assembly adopted resolution 61/89, triggering the official process that led to the ATT’s negotiation and subsequent adoption in 2013.
It’s important to remember where the ATT comes from, in order to stay the course ahead. Contexts change. People come and go. But the vision of what the ATT was intended to accomplish should remain constant, until it is fulfilled.
Many states parties spoke to the ATT’s goals and objectives during the General Debate, as well as its as of yet unfulfilled potential. Statements delivered today indicate general satisfaction with how the three working groups are progressing and a feeling that the work of setting up these groups and other aspects of the Treaty’s “infrastructure” are roughly on track and enabling space for substantive work and discussion within them to begin.
Of course, views on what constitutes substance differ and from the perspective of many in civil society, there has not yet been any accounting for Treaty violations, or indications of appetite to do so. A few countries made references in their statement that might be interpreted as wanting more accountability but were not clear enough for this publication to say so with certainty.
There was widespread support for the intersessional work that has occurred on diversion, and it was obvious that a majority of states parties accord priority to this topic. Also obvious is the desire to continue to grow the ATT’s membership by attracting new states parties and appreciation for the activities that the Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF) has enabled. There is concern about the dip in reporting rates, as well as non-payment of dues by some states parties. The opening day was also marked by significant recognition of the link between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ATT, as well as synergies with other instruments. States also spoke out about the Treaty’s potential to prevent gender-based violence (GBV).
The General Debate will continue into Tuesday after which states will address issues relating to implementation. So far the general sentiment is positive, and seeking to conclude a successful conference in which decisions are taken that enable further work.
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