Sir, Jack Straw was right to back an international arms trade treaty that would impose strict, legally binding controls on the arms trade, with an enforcement mechanism to stop weapons getting into the hands of human rights abusers and into war zones.

Yes, second-hand guns, already on the ground, will continue to pose a threat in modern conflicts (Foreign Editor’s Briefing, March 15). But in countries where civilians are murdered every day, weapons and ammunition, both old and new, still flow across international borders into the hands of killers. Nearly eight million small arms are manufactured every year: that is why an international arms trade treaty is needed as part of a package of policies to protect civilians.

Jack Straw has committed political support to make the treaty a reality within the lifetime of the next government. This is essential. Banning landmines within five years appeared similarly ambitious in the 1990s, yet the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, or Ottawa Convention, now stands as a testament to this ambition.

Yours faithfully,
KATE ALLEN,
Director, Amnesty International UK,
99-119 Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4RE.
March 18.

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