Arms trade treaty important for humanity

At the end of a nine-day conference in New York, States failed to reach an agreement on an Arms Trade Treaty. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) deeply regrets that States were unable to adopt an Arms Trade Treaty at the diplomatic conference that ended yesterday in New York. 

"This treaty is important for humanity. As long as there is no international controls on the transfers of conventional arms and ammunitions, civilians and societies will continue to suffer" said Kathleen Lawand, head of the ICRC's arms unit. Legally binding norms are urgently needed to regulate transfers of conventional weapons and ammunition, and to make sure that arms don't end up in the hands of those who are likely to commit war crimes or serious violations of human rights law.

The ICRC has been calling for over twenty years for the adoption of a strong and effective treaty that prohibits international arms transfers when there is a clear risk of war crimes being committed with the weapons concerned.

The adoption of an effective Arms Trade Treaty remains a humanitarian imperative. The ICRC is committed to continuing to work with all States, National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations and other organizations to ensure that a treaty is adopted in the near future. 

Shotlist

Location: United Nations Headquarters (New York) and various countries
Length: 05' 47"
Format: Mpeg2 / 16:9 / SD
Production: Didier Revol
Editing: Louis Mouchet
Sound: English
Date: 28 March 2013
ICRC ref: AV02N2

Copyright: ICRC access all

00 00 SOUNDBITE Peter Woolcott, President of the U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (English – 10"). The president concluded that, in accordance with role 33 of the rules of procedure, there was no consensus and the draft decision was not adopted.

00 10 SOUNDBITE Peter Woolcott, President of the U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (English – 5"). The treaty will not emerge from this process but the treaty is coming.

00 15 SOUNDBITE Kathleen Lawand, head of the ICRC's arms unit (English – 20"). We are very much heartened by the fact that most of the States, in fact the vast majority of the States, that have spoken at that conference have highlighted the humanitarian goals, the humanitarian imperative of controls on arms transfers.

00 36 SOUNDBITE Kathleen Lawand, head of the ICRC's arms unit (English – 15"). This treaty is important for humanity. As long as there is no international controls on the transfers of conventional arms and ammunitions, civilians and societies will continue to suffer. 

00 51: Various shots of UN building plus twisted barrel statue

01 04: Various shots within the Conference room, delegates entering and discussing

01 48: Rebels fighting in Libya (2 shots)

01 58: Building on fire (Libya)

02 03: Armed men on pick-up in Liberia (2 shots)

02 11: People fleeing fighting in Monrovia (2 shots)

02 25: Rebel fighters on pick-up in northern Mali

02 30: Same fighters on foot (2 shots)

02 41: Rebels loading machine gun in Libya (2 shots)

02 50: Anti aircraft machine

02 55: Ammunitions (illustrative shot from Congo-Brazzaville)

03 02: Rebel fighters in Monrovia carrying machine gun and RPG

03 06: Rebel firing RPG in Libya (2 shots)

03 13: Tank skeleton in Libyan Desert (2 shots)

03 23: Box of hand grenades (Congo Brazzaville)

03 28: Explosive remnants of war (shells) littering floor with people in background - Iraq (2 shots)

03 34: Destroyed town centre in Guinea

03 37: Man walking in abandoned street (Guinea)

03 43: Foreign workers stranded at frontier between Libya and Egypt (3 shots) 

03 57: Ravaged streets in Angola with people (3 shots)

04 05: Destroyed house in Gaza with owners in middle of rubbles (2 shots)

04 20: ICRC delegates and civilians taking cover in Occupied Territories (3 shots)

04 36: Fighter evacuated from frontline in Libya.

04 43: Arrival of ambulance in Kandahar hospital in Afghanistan (2 shots).

04 50: No Weapons board on hospital wall

04 53: Young boy with bandage over stumps (2 shots)

04 59: Displaced people in South Sudan (3 shots)

05 10: ICRC staff offloading truck – (3 shots)

05 23: SOUNDBITE from displaced women in South Sudan (Dinka – 17"). I saw people falling from my left, from my right and behind me, but God did not say it was my day to die. We stepped over lots of dead bodies and we kept going because we were not shot.

05 39: Displaced people at distribution site

05 47: ENDS