Arms
Trade Treaty
Draft Allows
Ammo for
Transnational
Crime,
Illicit Market
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
26 -- When the
new Arms Trade
Treaty draft
was
circulated on
the afternoon
of Thursday,
the day before
the deadline
to agree or
not agree, it
took a new
approach to
ammunition.
The
US does not
want ammo to
be included;
the ECOWAS
states of West
Africa have
said they
wouldn't sign
on if ammo is
not covered. Click
here for
previous
coverage
from Inner
City Press.
Reflecting
the
US' strength,
ammunition is
still not
listed among
the items
Covered. But
later under
Exports the
text says
"Each
State Party
shall
establish and
maintain a
national
control system
to
regulate the
export of
ammunition for
conventional
arms under the
scope of this
Treaty, and
shall apply
article 3, and
paragraphs 1,
2,
3, 4, and 5 of
article 4
prior to
authorizing
any export of
ammunition."
So
what is being
excluded?
Article 3 has
six
paragraphs,
from the last
of which ammo
is excluded:
6.
Each State
Party, when
considering a
proposed
export of
conventional
arms under the
scope of this
Treaty, shall
consider
taking
feasible
measures,
including
joint actions
with other
States
involved in
the
transfer, to
avoid the
arms:
a.
being diverted
to the illicit
market or for
unauthorized
end use;
b.
being used to
commit or
facilitate
gender-based
violence or
violence
against
children;
c.
being used for
transnational
organized
crime;
d.
becoming
subject to
corrupt
practices; or
e.
adversely
impacting the
development of
the importing
State.
This
is a major
exclusion, of
a duty to
check on ammo
exports "being
used for
transnational
organized
crime."
To Inner City
Press,
it brings to
mind US guns
and ammo being
used by the
transnational
drug cartels
based in
Mexico. Can
you say, Fast
and Furious?
That is
how they want
to push this
watered down
Treaty
through. Watch
this
site.
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