Groups urge US President to negotiate Arms Trade Treaty

new-zealand-labour-party

Wed May 30 2012 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Groups urge US President to negotiate Arms Trade Treaty

Wednesday, 30 May 2012, 11:04 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Ross Robertson
Associate Spokesperson for Disarmament
(Small Arms and Light Weapons)

30 May 2012

Groups urge US President to negotiate Arms Trade Treaty

Labour’s Associate Spokesperson for Disarmament, Ross Robertson, has signed a letter to President Barack Obama on behalf of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), promoting the negotiation of a robust Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Mr Robertson, the President of PGA, says that a comprehensive ATT can help to save innocent lives, contribute to economic and social development, promote regional stability, and protect human rights, by ensuring the responsible control, trade and export of conventional weapons.

“This is a historic opportunity for the United Nations to address the lack of high common international standards in the global arms trade, which is currently allowing thousands of civilians around the globe to be slaughtered each year by weapons that are sold, transferred by governments, or diverted to unscrupulous regimes, criminals, illegal militias, and terrorist groups.

“The Treaty will be negotiated at the United Nations in July, at which time the Control Arms Global Parliamentary Declaration on the ATT, already signed by over 1,300 legislators around the world through the efforts of PGA, will be presented.

“Over 50 international groups have joined together to sign this letter requesting President Obama and his administration to play a strong leadership role in the negotiations,” said Ross Robertson.

The Control Arms Global Parliamentary Declaration on the Arms Trade Treaty may be viewed at: http://controlarms.org/parliamentarian-declaration

More information on PGA may be found at: www.pgactionorg

ENDS

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