EU Council Conclusions on Arms Trade Treaty

EU Council Conclusions on Arms Trade Treaty, 2770th GENERAL AFFAIRS Council meeting, Brussels

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"The Council welcomed the formal start of the process towards the elaboration of a legally binding international Arms Trade Treaty through the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the resolution "Towards an arms trade treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms" on 6 December 2006. The Council noted with appreciation that a clear majority of UN Member States supported the resolution, including all EU Member States. The Council remained convinced that the United Nations is the only forum that could deliver a truly universal instrument.

The Council welcomed in particular the fact that the operational paragraphs of the resolution request the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on the feasibility, scope and draft parameters for a comprehensive, legally binding instrument, and to establish a group of governmental experts, commencing in 2008, to examine these matters. The Council reaffirmed that the EU and its individual Member States would play an active role in this process, and called upon them, as well as all other UN Member States, to actively support the ATT process, to submit their views to the Secretary-General and participate in the work of the group of governmental experts.

The Council underlined the importance of co-operation in this process with other States and regional organizations and expressed its firm belief that a comprehensive, legally binding instrument, consistent with existing responsibilities of States under relevant international law, establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms, would be a major contribution to tackling the undesirable and irresponsible proliferation of conventional arms which undermines peace, security, development and full respect for human rights."

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• EU General Affairs Council Conclusions (11/12/2006)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions (11/12/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Conventional Weapons (12/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Review Conference Small Arms and Light Weapons (26/6/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - UN Security Council Open Debate on Small Arms (20/3/2006)