8 November 2012

Positive vote on arms treaty encouraging

A vote by 157 governments at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Disarmament in New York, in favour of finalising the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in March, is a hugely positive step forward, Labour’s Associate Spokesperson for Disarmament and President of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), Ross Robertson says.

"MPs and PGA legislators all around the world, as well as many of the colleagues with whom we work, are deeply committed to making the ATT a meaningful reality in the near future.

"We have come too far to turn back now.

“Many of our PGA colleagues work in countries and regions which have been directly and indirectly impacted by the inadequate regulation of the international trade in arms, and have seen first-hand the devastating consequences this has had on their countries and their people.

“We want a strong ATT and we want it soon. We will move heaven and earth to see that, once it is in place, it is signed, ratified and implemented in all our countries as soon as possible.

“Too many lives have been lost. Any further extended delay in making the ATT a robust reality is inexcusable.

“PGA looks forward to doing all we can to ensure that the March 2013 ATT Conference delivers to the world a treaty for which it has waited for too long" said Ross Robertson.

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