International Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

With no international legally-binding agreement on the transfer of arms, weapons can move easily across the world to regions of conflict and to countries known for human rights abuses.

These weapons can fuel and sustain conflict, destroy lives and undermine development.

What is an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)?

An international Arms Trade Treaty based on states' existing responsibilities under international law would give agreed global standards on arms transfers and help prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands.

At the 2006 UN General Assembly, 153 countries voted to begin discussions on an ATT. An international Group of Governmental Experts will look into the feasibility, scope and parameters of such a treaty from January 2008.

What we do

We are working with organisations including Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) to build support for an international ATT.

Read our latest report which explains how the ATT will actually work in practice and what mechanisms will be needed to make it effective.  

Download 'Making it work'

  

 

Reports and briefings

The Arms Trade Treaty, February 2008

Towards an international Arms Trade Treaty, May 2006

Find out more 

Find more information about our regional arms transfer controls work in the Africa, Europe and Asia pages.

Read more about our work on arms transfers in the UK and Europe.

Find out about 'Control Arms', a network of NGOs working towards an ATT.

 

Find out how to support us

• Small arms and light weapons
• Arms transfer controls
  • Arms transfer controls in Europe
  • International Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
  • UK arms transfer controls
• Conflict-sensitive development
• Security and justice sector development
• International advocacy
• Training

Contact

Roy Isbister
Team Leader