On 25 September, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia joined the group of over 20 countries who signed the Arms Trade Treaty. They did so as part of a special high-level event during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Treaty on behalf of his country. The day before, Zeljko Komsic, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, talked about the need for further efforts towards disarmament and non-proliferation, mentioning Bosnia’s intention to sign the Arms Trade Treaty. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia both have a limited arms and ammunition trade but are recent examples of the tragedies that can occur when there are no arms trade regulations in place to protect innocent civilians. Amir Mujanovic, the Executive Director of Landmine Survivors Initiatives (IPM-LSI) stated that Bosnia-Heregovina has “suffered due to unregulated arms trade in the recent past” and that the IPM-LSI “welcomes and supports the decision of the state authorities to sign the ATT and contribute to a safer country and region”.
Mr. H. E. Nikola Poposki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs FYR Macedonia, expressed his happiness in having the privilege to sign the ATT on behalf of his country. He mentioned that his country has always been a strong supporter of a legally binding international treaty that will establish the highest common standards for arms trade since the region in which it is located has been gravely affected by the unmonitored spread of weapons, especially SALW. He concluded that the ATT “will make a difference for our citizens. It will certainly pave a way for further successes in the disarmament process. And finally, it gives us hope that we will succeed in facing other challenges of global concern together.”
