Priorities for African states negotiating for an Arms Trade Treaty

The document argues for a strong Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to regulate the international transfer of conventional arms, which currently lacks global standards based on human rights and international humanitarian law. It highlights that the failure to regulate this trade results in significant loss of life and impacts livelihoods. Following an unsuccessful round of UN negotiations in July 2012, the brief calls for a collective responsibility to preserve human security and prevent human suffering, urging African states to prioritise specific text areas at the subsequent UN conference scheduled for March 2013.

• The international transfer of conventional arms is poorly regulated and lacks global standards rooted in international humanitarian law and human rights, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths annually and affecting millions of livelihoods.
• UN member states failed to reach an agreement on a treaty text during negotiations held at the UN Headquarters in New York from 2–27 July 2012, despite rising military spending and human rights violations.
• The primary objective of the Arms Trade Treaty should be the prevention of human suffering and the preservation of human security, requiring an uncompromising dedication from all participants.

APA

Dube, G. (n.d.). Priorities for African states negotiating for an Arms Trade Treaty. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/priorities-for-african-states-negotiating-for-an-arms-trade-treaty

Chicago

Dube, Gugu. Priorities for African states negotiating for an Arms Trade Treaty. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/priorities-for-african-states-negotiating-for-an-arms-trade-treaty.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dube |first1=Gugu |title=Priorities for African states negotiating for an Arms Trade Treaty |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/priorities-for-african-states-negotiating-for-an-arms-trade-treaty |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dubendpriorities, author = {Dube, Gugu}, title = {{Priorities for African states negotiating for an Arms Trade Treaty}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/policy-brief/priorities-for-african-states-negotiating-for-an-arms-trade-treaty}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }