New York, 2nd April, 2014:
On the occasion of the first anniversary of the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty, PGA welcomes its ratification today by Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom Margarita Stolbizer MP (Argentina), PGA Executive Committee Member and Co-Convenor of PGA’s Peace & Democracy Program
These developments earlier today undoubtedly represent a significant milestone on the road to entry into force of the ATT later this year. PGA's membership of over 1,000 MPs in 130 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and worldwide continue to actively promote signature and ratification of the ATT, utilizing a plethora of the parliamentary prerogatives at their disposal to do so. Naveed Qamar MP (Pakistan), PGA Executive Committee Member and Co-Convenor of PGA Peace & Democracy Program.
Senator Jim Walsh (Ireland), PGA Executive Committee Member and Deputy Convenor of PGA's Peace & Democracy Program recalled at the same time "That 12 months after the adoption of the ATT, large numbers of individuals worldwide continue to suffer from the devastating consequences of the inadequate regulation of the international trade in arms. Over 40 countries have also yet to sign the Treaty, many of whom have experienced horrific conflict and armed violence at first hand."
PGA also wishes to recall that while entry into force of the ATT is and must be the most important immediate objective, ensuring wider participation in the ATT and its broad, effective implementation, is and must remain the over-arching goal.
PGA President Ross Robertson MP (New Zealand) said that the world is still sadly awash not only with excessive numbers of arms and weapons, but also with well-intentioned international treaties that have never realized the goals which inspired their elaboration. “It is imperative that the ATT avoids the same toothless fate that has sadly befallen so many other treaties concluded by the international community” he said.
Similarly, PGA Member Dr. Bernadette Lahai MP (Sierra Leone) highlighted the importance “of not allowing the ATT to gather dust on the shelf.”
PGA Member Nassir Yusuph Abdallah MP (Tanzania) hailed the multiple ratification ATT deposit ceremony at the UN today and further commented that “Together with my PGA colleagues here in The United Republic of Tanzania, we are encouraging our Colleagues in the Government to move forward with Ratification without undue delay."
The Speaker of the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago, PGA Member Hon. Wade Mark MP in a communication to the PGA Secretariat, requested that it be known that he fully endorsed this Statement.
PGA therefore calls upon all UN Member States to move swiftly to end the horrific human toll and despair that still decimates humanity to this day and to ratify and effectively implement the ATT with an urgency commensurate with the gravity of the circumstances at hand.
