Human rights activists and members of Amnesty International (AI) in Nepal urged US Government to play a leading role in promoting human rights protection rules in the historic negotiations of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) taking place at the UN until 28 March 2013. In a demonstration and petition signing program organized by AI Nepal on 17 March, 2013 more than 2,000 petitions were signed calling US government to contribute in making the ATT effective to control arms. The petitions addressed to the US President Barack Obama will be handed over soon to the US President Obama through the Embassy of USA in Kathmandu.
Addressing the program veteran Human Rights activists of Nepal Krishna Pahadi said every year, hundreds of thousands of people suffer because of the poorly regulated arms trade and urged to stop allowing irresponsible transfers of arms and be made accountable to the international community. Likewise, Chairperson of AI Nepal Shambhu Thakur shed light the objective of the program. On the occasion, more than 100 activists took part raising the banner and plea-cards with various slogans about effective ATT. War crimes, unlawful killings, torture and other serious human rights abuses have been committed around the world using a wide range of weapons, munitions and military and security equipment. These are often provided to perpetrators in almost unlimited supply, encouraging and prolonging unlawful violence. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, injured, raped and forced to flee from their homes as a result.
Global society has no treaty to ensure the strict control of the international trade in conventional arms, while governments license irresponsible arms flows to fuel human atrocities and abuse. Amnesty International urging states to stop allowing irresponsible transfers of arms .That is why since the 1990s Amnesty International has been campaigning for a global treaty to set rules for the strict regulation of the international arms trade. Now ‘Final UN Conference on the ATT’ will be held in New York
from 18-28 March 2013.
All governments will negotiate the text of the treaty at the United Nations. Many governments and most US allies support this position. However, some influential states including China, Russia and US have been promoting weaker rules.
Amnesty International believes it is crucial that the treaty includes:
- Strong rules that protect human rights, preventing arms from being sent to those who would most likely use them to seriously violate these rights;
- A control list that includes all types of weapons, munitions and other arms;
- Clear rules to apply and monitor the Treaty with reporting to ensure they are enforced.