10 July 2014

President of PGA to attend Workshop to promote signature and ratification of Arms Trade Treaty in Asia Pacific region

Labour’s Associate Disarmament Spokesperson and Parliamentians for Global Action (PGA) President Ross Robertson will be attending a Workshop next week in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to promote signature and ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).

Supported by the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR), Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), Nonviolence International South East Asia (NISEA) and Control Arms will bring together parliamentarians as well as other important stakeholders from the Asia and Pacific region.

The Arms Trade Treaty was adopted on 2 April 2013 to address the devastating consequences of the inadequate regulation of the international arms trade around the world. To date, it has been signed by 118 countries and ratified by 41 countries. In order for the ATT to enter into force, it must be ratified by 50 countries.

Mr Robertson said that Members of Parliament and representatives of key institutions working on legislation to enable signature and ratification of the ATT from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Samoa, Thailand and Tonga will participate.

“New Zealand’s ratification process, including our Parliamentary procedure, is currently in train, and we will be able to ratify within the next couple of months after Parliament has completed its consideration of the Treaty.

“I will be delivering one of the opening addresses at the Workshop, during which I will highlight New Zealand’s ATT Model Law which has been developed to assist with domestic implementation of the ATT by Pacific countries,” said Ross Robertson.

ENDS

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