Why Secretary Kerry did the right
thing by signing the Arms Trade Treaty
September 25th, 2013 | by Guest Blogger
Today, Secretary of State John
Kerry signed the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on behalf of the United States. Despite a lot of
ill-informed and ill-intentioned criticism of the Treaty, he did the right
thing.
As we point out in a new Oxfam briefing paper, Saving lives by
common sense, the ATT is an agreement that will have a positive impact on US
security, civilians around the world affected by conflict and instability, and
poverty alleviation. The Treaty requires arms-exporting countries to refrain
from shipments when there is an “overriding risk” that the weapons will support
genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes. So the ATT places a stigma on
arms transfers that are likely to contribute to mass atrocities, violations of
international human rights and humanitarian law, terrorism, or global organized
crime.
The Treaty requires the
governments that sign it to establish effective arms import and export control
systems, and also to cooperate and share information about the arms trade. By
shining a bright light on one of the world’s least transparent trade sectors,
the ATT will inject a new measure of accountability in the global arms bazaar. The Treaty also requires signatory states to
assess the risk that arms transfers pose to women and children, and thus offers
an important new tool in the worldwide fight against gender-based violence.
The goals of the ATT are in
keeping with long-standing US
policy and practice. Both Republican and Democratic administrations have sought
to keep arms exports from fueling atrocities and have worked to reign in rogue
arms dealers. The Treaty will establish a new global regulatory framework for
conventional weapons while recognizing that legal arms sales are a legitimate
part of international commerce and security.
The United States already has an
extensive arms export and import control system in place. For that reason, the
Obama Administration argues that implementation of the ATT would not require
any new legislation.
Why then bother with an
international agreement? Opponents of the ATT claim that it gives up too much
American freedom of action to justify the supposed benefits. But if the United States
ratifies the Treaty, that will help prevent
future Administrations from trying to lower the strong standards that
are now in place as a matter of policy. By ratifying the ATT, the United States
will become a full voting member when the parties to the Treaty hold their
periodic meetings. It will be able to influence decisions on implementation and
amendments, as well as the staffing of the ATT Secretariat. Most importantly,
by accepting the Treaty, the United
States will encourage other countries to
join in the effort to regulate the arms trade, prevent atrocities, and promote
peace and sustainable development.
A big objection to the ATT is that
it undermines the Second Amendment right
of US citizens to keep and bear arms. That’s a red herring. The ATT only applies to global arms
shipments, and it explicitly leaves it up to states that sign the Treaty as to
how they are going to regulate and control domestic arms transfers. And
besides, it’s well established that a treaty can’t nullify the constitutional
rights of US citizens.
President Obama took a very
important step toward a more secure world by authorizing Secretary Kerry to
sign the ATT and making the United
States the 91st signatory.
Now it’s time for the US Senate to
do its part and ratify this life-saving global agreement.
Oxfam
Daniel R.
Glickman is a director at Oxfam
America, a director, Congressional Program for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and was a senior adviser at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.
Note: Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank), and the Brookings Institution (think tank).
George
Soros is the chairman for the Foundation
to Promote Open Society.
Teresa Heinz
Kerry is an honorary trustee at the Brookings
Institution (think tank), and married to U.S. Department of State secretary John F. Kerry.
Cyrus F.
Freidheim Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Commercial Club of Chicago,
Members Directory
Please note: This link for the
members of the Commercial Club of Chicago can no longer be found.
Valerie B. Jarrett
is a member of the Commercial Club of
Chicago, the senior adviser for the Barack
Obama administration, and her great uncle is Vernon E. Jordan Jr.
Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, an
honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior
counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer
& Feld, LLP, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg
(think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).
Daniel R.
Glickman was a senior adviser at Akin,
Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, is a director, Congressional Program
for the Aspen Institute (think tank),
and a director at Oxfam America.
Oxfam America
Who we are
Oxfam America is
a global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and
injustice. We save lives, develop long-term solutions to poverty, and campaign
for social change. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam
confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting
solutions.
Our vision: A just world without poverty.
Our mission: To create lasting solutions to poverty, hunger,
and social injustice.
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