As part of the “100 Days of Speaking Out!”, a countdown to the treaty negotiations, Control Arms will regularly feature stories and profiles of different people who support a bulletproof ATT
During the previous six months, campaigners across the world have been lobbying parliamentarians to sign the Control Arms Global Parliamentarian Declaration on the Arms Trade Treaty. Their efforts are paying off as was signaled by this week’s addition of the 1,500th signatory to the declaration.
To date, 1, 504 Members of Parliament, assemblymen, congressional leaders, and regional parliamentarians from 63 countries have signed the declaration. The document states that ATT negotiations “must deliver a robust, legally binding instrument that effectively tackles the devastating consequences of armed violence and conflict around the globe.”
Among the parliamentarians are Senator Cristovam Buarque of Brazil and Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire. Senator Buarque is a former Governor of Distrito Federal and in 2006, made a bid for the Brazilian presidency, garnering more than 2.5 million votes. Lieutenant-General Dallaire, best known for his commission as the Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, has been an outspoken advocate for peace initiatives and brought global attention to the issue of child soldiers.
With exactly two weeks left until the negotiations begin, the final push for parliamentarian support is at its height. Campaigners, government leaders, and ordinary citizens throughout the world are writing letters, composing emails, and meeting face to face with legislators to encourage them to sign on to the declaration. You can do your part to help show UN Member States that democratically elected officials care about a strong ATT by doing the same. Resources, including a sample letter to parliamentarians, are available in multiple language on the Declaration Resources page.
