23 Jul 2012

UN / ARMS TREATY

With negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty reaching a “frenetic” pace at the United Nations ahead of a Friday deadline, non-governmental organizations said today (23 July) it is up to the United States and the world’s other big powers to “knuckle down” and reach agreement on an international treaty they say will save millions of lives.UNTV / IRIN / UNMIL / MINUSTAH

Posted at: July 23, 2012 5:52 pm

Duration: 02:32

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / ARMS TREATY 
TRT: 2.32
SOURCE: UNTV / IRIN / UNMIL / MINUSTAH
RESTRICTION: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

23 JULY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Pan right, screen saying "United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty" to conference room entrance
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Anna Macdonald, Head of Arms Control, Oxfam:
"Potentially this treaty has a huge ability to make a difference. Up to two thousand people a day die from armed violence around the world, and that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the problems that the poorly regulated global trade in arms brings. This is an historic moment and governments really need to seize it, and take the opportunity to transform the way the world deals with armed violence."
4. Close up, United States placard
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Wood, Head of Arms Control, Amnesty International:
"It's still hanging in the balance. The decision is in the White House with President Obama as to whether he will agree a 'golden rule' in the treaty that will mandate governments to stop the transfer of arms if it's known or there's a substantial risk the arms are going to be used for war crimes or crimes against humanity, acts of genocide, or serious violations of human rights."
6. Wide shot, Malawi delegate in his seat
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dan Kuwali, Head of Malawi delegation:
"We also want to see a treaty that prohibits the transfers of arms and ammunition to those countries, or to areas where they'll be used to perpetrate gender-based violence as well as serious violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law."
8. Med shot, two delegates talking
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Wood, Head of Arms Control, Amnesty International:
"The big powers really need now, the last few days, to knuckle down and cut an agreement that is worthy of the United Nations, that is consistent with their existing international obligations."
10. Wide shot, Russian delegate

FILE – IRIN – OCTOBER 2008, SANAA, YEMEN 
 
11. Various shots, gun shops
12. Close up, rifles
13. Med shot, man looking closely at gun
14. Close up, bullets in hand

FILE – UNMIL – 17 JUNE 2011, MONROVIA, LIBERIA

15. Wide shot, rifles displayed on tarmac
16. Close up, butt of rifle with inscription
17. Med shot, Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) and semi-automatic weapons on tarmac

FILE – MINUSTAH – 12-18 MAY 2009, PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI

18. Med shot, Haitian policeman examining a gun
19. Wide shot, policeman putting away gun

FILE – IRIN – UNDATED, CONGO BRAZZAVILLE

10. Wide shot, bonfire of arms 
11. Med shot, arms burning

STORYLINE:

With  negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty  reaching a "frenetic" pace at the United Nations ahead of a Friday deadline, non-governmental organizations said today (23 July) it is up to the United States and the world's other big powers to "knuckle down" and reach agreement on an international treaty they say will save millions of lives.

The UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, a four-week gathering that began at UN Headquarters in New York on 2 July, has brought together the UN's 193 member states to negotiate what conference organizers have called the most important initiative ever regarding conventional arms regulation.

Oxfam's arms control expert Anna Macdonold told UNifeed that such a treaty could make a "huge" difference. Currently "up to two thousand people a day die from armed violence around the world, and that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the problems that the poorly regulated global trade in arms brings", she said, calling this an "historic moment" and urging governments to seize it.

Macdonald said it was not unrealistic that countries could reach agreement by Friday (27 July), when the conference ends, but that there are still a number of sceptics among the member states, namely from the Middle East.

The head of arms control at Amnesty International, Brian Wood agreed the negotiations are "hanging in the balance", but said that the "decision is in the White House with President Obama".

The United States has opposed broadening the treaty to include ammunition as well as small arms, among other concerns.

Wood hoped Obama would decide to support a "golden rule" in the treaty, which he defined as one that would mandate governments to stop the transfer of arms if it's known or there's a substantial risk that arms will be used for war crimes, crimes against humanity, acts of genocide, or serious violations of human rights.

The head of Malawi's delegation to the conference, Dan Kuwali, said his country was pushing for a treaty that would cover both arms and ammunition, and would also prohibit their transfer to countries or areas where they will be used to perpetrate gender-based violence.

Amnesty's Brian Wood noted that the United States was "by far the largest arms trading country in the world", followed by Russia and then France, the United Kingdom and Germany. If these countries could be brought on board to the treaty, smaller ones would follow, he said.

He urged the world's big powers to "knuckle down" during the days remaining until Friday and "cut an agreement that is worthy of the United Nations, that is consistent with their existing international obligations".

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged member states earlier this month to work towards a treaty, stressing that a set of rules on this matter is long overdue, as poorly regulated international arms transfers are fuelling civil conflicts, destabilizing regions, and empowering terrorists and criminal networks.

Filed under 01.04.00 - DISARMAMENT AND MILITARY QUESTIONS .