Arms Trade Treaty Negotiations

The Final United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 18-28 March 2013. It was a follow-up on the work of the July 2012 Conference. It was designated as “final” to reflect the overwhelming commitment to conclude the ATT process and reach an agreement and produce a balanced, robust and effective Arms trade Treaty. Representatives from Member States, UN entities, Arms Industry Representatives and NGOs in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) from all regions of the world attended the session.

On April 2, 2013 governments adopted the text of the first ever Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at the United Nations in New York. The treaty, which prohibits the sale of arms if there is a risk that the weapons could be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law, is the first ever treaty that recognizes the link between gender-based violence and the international arms trade. For more information CLICK HERE>>