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.
Yesterday, Oxfam International released a new report, “Stop a Bullet, Stop a War,” focusing on the extensive global trade in ammunition. The report shows that global sales of ammunition are worth more than $4bn and are growing at a faster rate than trade in guns, yet there is virtually no regulation in place to control where the bullets end up. Approximately 12 billion bullets are produced annually throughout the world.
Some countries, including the United States, Syria and Egypt, have recently voiced their opposition to including ammunition in the final treaty text. Oxfam and the Control Arms coalition believe it is essential that the sale of ammunition is covered by the new agreement, given the devastating impact that the illicit and irresponsible arms trade has on the lives of some of the poorest people in the world, particularly those living in conflict-hit or fragile states such as Afghanistan and Somalia.
Anna Macdonald, head of arms control campaigning at Oxfam, said:
“Guns are useless without bullets; bullets are what turn guns into lethal weapons. It is absolutely essential ammunition is included in the treaty and it is far better regulated. It would be totally irrational to leave it out.
The trade in ammunition is lucrative; but while the monetary cost of production is low, the price paid in human lives for the trade in ammunition is incalculable. An Arms Trade Treaty which doesn’t include the trade in bullets doesn’t make sense.”
The report is available online in multiple languages and is the part of a series of reports that Oxfam is releasing in advance of the ATT negotiations in July.
