Last week, multiple organizations came together in Paris, France to call on the government of France to strengthen its commitment to disarmament and humanitarian arms control. The event took place as part of the 20th anniversary of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and there was also much discussion about the on-going and changing role of civil society the field of arms control and disarmament. It opened with a presentation from Nobel Peace Laureate and ICBL Ambassador Jody Williams, who spoke about the new and multi-stakeholder model for diplomacy that has emerged in recent years.
Control Arms was represented by Nicolas Vercken of Oxfam France, who spoke as part of a round table focusing on the role of France in protecting civilians from the consequences of weapons. An official from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that France has high expectations that the upcoming diplomatic conference (18 – 28 March) will deliver an ambitious ATT that includes the major arms exporters and importers. At the end of the day, a joint statement from more than 20 organizations and organizations was presented to the government of France. This included Oxfam France as well as CCFD Terre Solidaire, another member of the coalition.