Local MP to attend Small Arms Conference in NY

Local MP to attend Small Arms Conference in New York

Manukau East MP and Labour’s Associate Spokesperson for Disarmament and Arms Control, Ross Robertson, will next week attend the Biennial Meeting of States for the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, to be held at the UN in New York.

Ross Robertson will be attending in his capacity as an Executive Board member for Parliamentarians for Global Action and Deputy Convenor for the PGA Peace and Democracy Programme.

“Following on from President Obama’s stated commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons, new opportunities have been created to push for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction,” said Ross Robertson.

“As a small but respected country with a proud track record of leading on disarmament issues, New Zealand should be working with like-minded nations to set a new agenda for disarmament and non-proliferation initiatives, and should be at the forefront promoting the implementation of the United Nations small arms and light weapons Programme of Action.

“I believe that parliaments of democratically elected representatives have a leading role to play in building societies in which the responsible use of firearms is the accepted standard. We as parliamentarians must remain focused on the wish of ordinary people in all our communities to live in peace. This meeting offers us the potential to strengthen our collective efforts to reach that goal,” said Ross Robertson.

While in New York, Ross Robertson will also attend the biannual Executive Board meeting of Parliamentarians for Global Action, and has been invited to participate in the Parliamentary Workshop on ‘Halting trafficking of arms, drugs and people – the Role of Parliamentarians’.

ENDS