UN to tackle 'deficiencies' in arms treaty

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has called on the United Nations to shore up “serious deficiencies” in its draft arms treaty. Human rights observers have cited concerns that current language would fail to prevent countries using the arms trade to carry out summary and arbitrary killings, torture and enforced disappearances. The current draft treaty would ban arms being transferred to countries known for committing war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Other provisions have not yet been secured, Amnesty International warned. Brian Wood, Amnesty’s head of Arms Control and Human Rights, said: “There have been welcome moves in this draft to ensure arms transfers that fuel genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes constitute a red line that states may not cross.” “But it would be unconscionable to allow arms transfers to go ahead with full knowledge of heinous acts being committed just because the acts are not during an armed conflict or part of a widespread or systematic attack on a specific civilian population,” Wood added. UN member states are expected to reach a final draft by March 28.