Campaigners rally together to call for a 'bullet-proof' Arms Treaty

New Amnesty report on consequences of deadly irresponsible Arms

Amnesty International today joined thousands of campaigners in more than 100 countries to call upon government leaders to develop a ‘bullet-proof’ Arms Treaty as it published a short report on violations fuelled by the irresponsible Arms.

The call comes ahead of negotiations between leaders which are expected to begin in July and is part of a Global Week of Action against Gun Violence (10 – 16 May).

Amnesty International’s new report, Killer Facts (pdf), outlines the dreadful human cost of armed violence, poverty and rights abuses which are caused by a weakly regulated Arms.

Campaigners are calling for better regulation of the global Arms to stop weapons being used to fuel conflict, crime and poverty, or to commit grave human rights abuses.

Amnesty International’s Arms Programme Director, Oliver Sprague said:

“At least 250,000 people are killed every year in armed conflict. Thousands more are injured, raped and traumatised every day because of thousands of weapons are ending up in the hands of human rights abusers.

“There must be much stricter regulations in place to control the international Arms, which is why a robust, bullet-proof Arms Treaty is vital.”

Killer Facts highlights that:

• An estimated 300,000 people die each year in non-conflict zones by state security forces
• 26 million people were forced to flee their homes because of armed conflict at the end of 2008
• About 60 per cent of human rights violations documented by Amnesty International have involved the use of small arms and light weapons.

Oliver Sprague added:

“It beggars belief how no international agreement exists to regulate the global trade of weapons, despite the fact that there are global treaties for items such as bananas or dinosaur bones. 

“It’s time that the global community stopped playing games with this deadly serious trade – and the UK Government continues to lead the way in developing a robust and effective Arms Treaty. The world is depending on it.”

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