PGA welcomes the ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty earlier today by Argentina, The Bahamas, Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Czech Republic, Portugal, Senegal, St. Lucia and Uruguay, bringing to 53 the total number of ratifications and thereby activating the entry-into-force provisions of the Treaty. PGA also welcomes the signing of the ATT on 23 September, 2014 by Ukraine and today by Georgia and Namibia bringing to 121 the total number of countries that have signed the Treaty.

Today the entry-into-force mechanisms for the ATT have been triggered - with over 50 countries having now ratified the ATT. On behalf of PGA, I congratulate all those that have become a State Party to the ATT on this historic day. As per the provisions of the ATT itself, this Treaty will now enter into force in December 2014. The fact that this has been achieved, only 17 months after the adoption of the treaty itself, and a mere 15 months after it was opened for signature and ratification, highlights the very real importance and priority attached to this Treaty by the international community. Today PGA and its members reaffirm their commitment to the ATT, in particular to securing many more ratifications of it to ensure its true universality of reach as well as - in parallel - promoting implementation efforts at the national level in all countries in which we are active. Dip. Minou Tavarez Mirabal, Acting President, PGA (Dominican Republic)

I am very pleased to hear that Senegal has today ratified the ATT and joined this historic group of UN Member States which, in so doing, have triggered the entry into force mechanisms of the ATT. As far back as 2006, I began actively advocating for the Arms Trade Treaty in my country and in my region. Together with PGA and many other regional and international partners, we organized in Dakar that same year a Regional Workshop which served to acquaint many legislators for the first time with the concept of this Treaty. Many of those same legislators went on to actively and successfully advocate for the adoption -   and now signature and ratification - by their country of the ATT. As Convenor of PGA's Peace & Democracy Program from 2012-2013 I persuaded many of my fellow Legislators in Senegal to sign the Global Parliamentary Declaration in support of  the ATT which PGA organized worldwide. My congratulations go out to all countries that have ratified today and my heartfelt request to all that have not done so yet to sign and ratify the ATT without delay. Dep. Lamine Thiam (Senegal), PGA Member and Former PGA Executive Committee Member and Convenor of PGA Peace & Democracy Program

The ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty earlier today by the Government of Argentina at the United Nations in New York represents a vital display of commitment by my country to putting an end to the needless suffering and massive loss of human life that takes place every year around the world, on account of the inadequate regulation of the international arms trade. This has indeed been a collective effort, including by many PGA Members of Parliament in Argentina and myself over the past few years - organizing and participating in Workshops both at home and around the world. We have continuously mobilized support, first for the adoption of the ATT and, subsequently, for signature and now ratification of it by Argentina. While I am very proud that Argentina is among those UN Member States whose ratification today has triggered the entry into force mechanisms of the ATT, there is still work to be done to ensure that the ATT realizes its full potential. I encourage all countries that have yet to sign and ratify to do so without delay - and for those countries - such as Argentina - that have ratified - we must now swiftly turn our attention to prompt implementation of the ATT into our domestic legal orders. I recently authored a Bill in the Argentine Parliament regulating exports of sensitive defense equipment and remain committed to ensuring the ATT is fully implemented in Argentina as soon as possible. Dip. Margarita Stolbizer (Argentina), PGA Executive Committee Member and Co-Convenor of the PGA Peace & Democracy Program

As a committed Member of Parliament for Human Rights causes, I am very pleased that Uruguay has ratified the ATT and, thereby, is one of the group of UN Member States whose ratification has enabled the triggering of the entry into force provisions contained in the ATT. I am also pleased that we share the platform on this historic day with, among others, our close neighbor and friend - Argentina. I have been engaged  personally in support of the ATT for over 5 years - representing PGA and civil society in one of the ATT PrepComs, mobilizing the participation of many other MPs in Uruguay in support of the ATT and participating in numerous different Workshops in my region and elsewhere to identify means to promote adoption of the ATT. I believe the ratification of the ATT by my country today also has a particular added, individual significance. The Global Peace Index, including this year, has repeatedly found Uruguay to be the most peaceful country in all of Latin America. By ratifying the ATT today, therefore, Uruguay sends a powerful signal that securing of the goals and objectives of the ATT is a task for all, peaceful and war-torn/conflict-affected countries alike. In Spanish we say " Cada uno pone su grano de arena"  - Everyone must do their part. Dip. Felipe Michelini (Uruguay), PGA Executive Committee Member and Convenor of PGA International Law & Human Rights Program