Tighter controls for small arms
July 14th, 2009
IN BRIEF: Zimbabwe could fall foul of new small arms treaty
JOHANNESBURG , - A proposed international arms trade treaty could end "irresponsible" weapons transfers involving countries like Zimbabwe and others, according to a report by the International Peace Information Service (IPIS).
Photo: Wikimedia 
Tighter controls for small arms
The July 2009 report, Zimbabwe - Arms and Corruption: Fuelling Human Rights Abuses, cites arms transfers from the DRC and China to Zimbabwe, and the export of small arms from Zimbabwe to the US and Montenegro, as examples of weapon transfers likely to be outlawed by an international treaty.
In 2006 the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 61/89 to establish a legally binding instrument, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), for "common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms."
In 2008 the US and Zimbabwe were the only two countries - out of 168 - to vote against taking the ATT resolution forward, but analysts expect that US President Barack Obama's administration will take a different tack from his predecessor, George Bush, on the issue.
The authors Brian Johnson-Thomas and Peter Danssaert noted in the IPIS report: "hopefully, the negotiation of an effective ATT will begin in 2010 and be completed soon, as this will undoubtedly save hundreds of thousands of lives, and prevent millions of people suffering injuries and the destruction of their livelihoods each year."
go/he source.www.irinnews.org