NEW YORK -The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind ‘liked-minded’ member states of the UN on the plan adoption of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) resolution that would curb illicit circulation of arms and weapons.
The treaty, which is expected to be adopted at the ongoing 63rd UN General Assembly in New York would serve as a legally binding instrument establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional Arms.
Nigeria ‘s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Bunkun-Olu Onemola made government’s position known at the thematic Debate on Conventional Weapons.
He said government was convinced of the absolute need for a universal, legally binding instrument in the form of an ATT that would put in place a mechanism or framework to ensure that illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) were not delivered into illicit networks.
The envoy stressed the need to have end-user certificates and international regulations of arm brokering activities that would control illicit cross-border movement of arms particularly in existing and potential conflict and post conflict situations.
He said they required strict monitoring and enforcement of arms embargoes.
Onemola said according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRT), the world military expenditure currently stood at 1.34 trillion dollars (N156.7 trillion) yet three billion of the world’s population live on less than two-and-a-half dollars (292.5) a day.
“This is a further demonstration that global production and sales of weapons have continued to ignore the grave political, humanitarian and consequences of the escalation of arms production. It also ignores the nexus between disarmament and development,” he said.
The envoy noted that though it was the legitimate and fundamental right of sovereign states to produce and procure arms for legitimate national defence and security needs, it was however imperative that such arms be controlled.
He said such measures would prevent their diversion from states and licensed traders to non-state actors and illicit end-users.
Onemola also pointed out that the West African sub-region had continued to witness conflicts of various dimensions as the result of illicit proliferation of SALWs.
“It is reported that for every African there are seven illicit bullets and three guns targeted at him or her. This we believe is scandalous especially at a time when an unacceptably high ratio of the world population still lives below the poverty line,” he stressed.
According to the envoy, the current global crises is a clarion call to curb the illicit circulation of arms and weapons adding that there was need to look beyond the narrow prism of national commercial interest.
Onemola, who called for an urgent need to alleviate the unnecessary sufferings imposed on innocent victims of small arms and light weapons added: “The ATT remains the most plausible solution to the tragedies on these victims.”
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