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Article

27 Jun 2012

Author:
Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian [UK]

Pressure mounts for tough arms treaty at UN talks

At the UN in New York...the British government will kick off a month of negotiations by urging the rest of the world to agree to a comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty. Arms exporters would in future "have to assess and consider an important list of criteria...[t]his list must include the risk of the exported arms being used in human rights abuses, or to fuel conflict, the potential impact of the export on sustainable development, and the risk of the trade being subject to diversion or corrupt practices"...Oxfam and Amnesty International will drive a decommissioned tank...in their campaign for a robust treaty that would prevent the transfer of weapons where there was "a substantial risk they will fuel conflict, poverty or serious human rights abuses"...The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has argu[es] that...the proposed Arms Trade Treaty "could well serve simply to legitimise arms sales...[refers to BAE Systems]