On 16 June, Sweden joined the Race to 50 becoming the 41st country to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty. Sweden was an early signatory, signing last June 3, 2013, alongside sixty six other states.
The instrument of ratification was deposited at the UN Headquarters by H.E. Ambassador Mårten Grunditz, who said:
“This is just the first step. The Parties to the Treaty need to work together to ensure broad adherence to the Treaty, and effective implementation. Sweden intends to be an active and constructive participant in this work.”
After the Swedish government approved the ratification the Minister of Trade, Ewa Björling said:
“I am very pleased that Sweden has now decided to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty. And it’s also especially exciting to see other countries joining faster than we had expected. The treaty will be an important tool to prevent conflicts and violence. These are the first ever legally binding global regulations on arms trade and the first time so many countries have actually committed to control trade.”
Control Arms welcomes Sweden’s ratification and urges all other signatories to join in the Race to 50 as soon as possible.
