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Article from Oxfam International: http://www.oxfam.org/en/programs/campaigns/controlarms/index.htm
Published: 01 January 2005

Control Arms

 
Image: Children from Angola playing in front of a building that was attacked by riotguns in Quito. Credit: Giovanni Diffidenti/Oxfam
Children from Angola playing in front of a building that was attacked by riotguns in Quito. Credit: Giovanni Diffidenti/Oxfam
The global arms trade is dangerously unregulated, and allows weapons to reach repressive governments, human rights abusers and criminals. To address these concerns, three global organizations have joined together to launch an international campaign in over sixty countries, to reduce arms proliferation and misuse, and to introduce an international Arms Trade Treaty.
Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) jointly launched the global Control Arms campaign in October 2003. The campaign focuses on promoting an international treaty covering arms transfers – the Arms Trade Treaty – which will stop arms being sold to those likely to misuse them.

At the UN Small Arms Review Conference in June 2006, the UN’s first major review of small arms in five years, the Control Arms campaign presented its Million Faces petition to UN delegates.

In December 2006 an historic vote in the UN General Assembly saw 153 governments support the proposed Treaty to prevent international arms transfers that fuel conflict, poverty and serious human rights violations. Only the United States voted against the proposal, and 24 governments abstained.
 
The UN vote comes just three years after the launch of the Control Arms campaign, which has seen over a million people in 170 countries calling for a Treaty.

The UN Secretary General is currently consulting with all governments on the possible content of an Arms Trade Treaty. We now have a chance to make sure they get it right by developing a strong and comprehensive treaty based on international human rights and humanitarian law. Visit the Control Arms site to find out more or take action.

Latest

11 February 2008
Talks starting today in the UN offer an historic way forward on conventional arms control, say Control Arms campaigners. The 28 delegates from every continent will sit on the “Group of Governmental Experts in New York, where they will start their first discussions on a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
02 November 2007
The majority of the world’s governments have confirmed they want an Arms Trade Treaty during the UN General Assembly committee sessions on conventional arms which ended today and they have submitted written proposals calling for respect of international human rights and humanitarian law in conventional arms transfers.
11 October 2007
The cost of conflict on African development was $284bn between 1990 and 2005, according to new research by Oxfam International, IANSA and Saferworld. This is equal to the amount of money received in international aid during the same period.

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Related links from Control Arms website
Famous Faces – Thousands of people have now joined the Million Faces petition from all around the world including many famous faces - footballers, musicians, actors and other celebrities.