Virtual stampede’ of states rush to join Arms Trade Treaty
A flurry of activity by UN member states to sign and ratify the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) before it enters into force next week is another clear sign of the overwhelming support for this historic move to rein in the irresponsible international arms trade, Amnesty International said. Yesterday alone, Andorra, Israel and Zimbabwe signed the ATT while Lithuania and the Netherlands ratified. These five states join several others which signed and ratified the treaty earlier this month, bringing the total number of signatures to 128, of which 60 have ratified. South Africa is also expected to ratify the treaty at the UN imminently. States that have ratified will now become states parties to the treaty. “World leaders are sending an unequivocal message. This virtual stampede of new states rushing to join the Arms Trade Treaty is another clear vote of confidence for this ground-breaking measure that will protect human rights and save countless lives,” said Marek Marczynski, Head of Military, Security and Police at Amnesty International. (Amnesty International)
[source: Amnesty International ]