New York - Countries must seize the opportunity provided by a United Nations conference to
regulate conventional arms trade in a way that prevents grave human rights
violations, a UN independent expert stressed today.

“The time is ripe for a robust and enforceable international treaty to limit and
regulate the arms trade,” the Independent Expert on the promotion of a
democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, said in a news release.

“World peace is threatened not only by weapons of mass destruction but also by
conventional weapons which have led to countless violations of human rights,
including the rights to life and to physical integrity,” he added. “A strong
treaty can contribute greatly to international and regional peace, security and
stability.”

The UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which ends today, has brought
together the Organization’s 193 Member States to negotiate what is seen as the
most important initiative ever regarding conventional arms regulation within the
UN.

At the end of 2010, an estimated 27.5 million people were internally displaced
as a result of conflict, while millions more have sought refuge abroad. In many
cases, the armed violence that drove them from their homes was fuelled by the
widespread availability and misuse of weapons.

Mr. de Zayas welcomed efforts by States to agree on globally binding rules to
control the arms trade. However, he noted that the instrument must be guided by
the rights and obligations of States under applicable international norms,
including human rights law, and emphasized that the current text leaves much
room for improvement.

“At the moment, the draft text leaves too much flexibility for States when
authorising an arms sale,” Mr. de Zaya said. “States must exert all efforts to
ensure that arms, as well as ammunition, are not transferred – whereas the
current draft only refers to exportation – to countries where there is a
substantial risk that they will be used to commit serious violations of
international humanitarian law and human rights law.”

Mr. de Zayas also noted that States must take appropriate measures to ensure
that the treaty recognises that the proliferation of arms and ammunition
increases the likelihood of violence against groups at risk including women and
girls.

Independent experts like Mr. de Zayas are appointed by the Geneva-based Human
Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific
human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not United
Nations staff, nor are they paid for their work.

On Thursday, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN
chief is also concerned about the “very limited progress in the negotiations” at
the Conference. He appealed to countries to show flexibility and make progress,
and “remains hopeful that the Conference will yield a robust and legally binding
Arms Trade Treaty that will have a real impact on the lives of those millions of
people suffering from the consequences of armed conflict, repression and armed
violence.”