Sir, In a clean, well-lit office, a mid-level official authorises an arms export licence for a national producer. Under it, the producer sends a shipment of M-16 assault rifles to an allied nation seeking to increase border security. At night, those weapons are loaded on to an unmarked plane destined for a territory under UN arms embargo. Some will be for a dictator’s army, others for child soldiers in the jungle; some will fall into the hands of drug traffickers or bring a bloody close to a domestic quarrel.

The global arms trade in the post-Cold War era has become notoriously difficult to control, with murky legal and illegal transfers. Some weapons are received by responsible endusers, with legitimate selfdefence and law enforcement needs. But massive quantities of conventional weapons, from armoured vehicles to grenades, rocket-launchers to hand guns, are bartered, resold and smuggled virtually without restriction.

National and regional arms-trafficking laws cannot match the scope of the larger problem. A global, legally binding treaty is essential if the international community is to control conventional weapons proliferation over the long term.

The recent announcement by the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, that Britain will actively promote the adoption of an international arms trade treaty (ATT) is profoundly important. Over 15 governments, 21 Nobel Peace laureates and thousands of individuals and organisations have already expressed their faith that an ATT is politically sound and morally necessary. Britain is the first member of the G8 countries, which together account for over 84 per cent of all arms transfers, to do so (report, July 2).

By holding all countries responsible to a set of minimum standards, the ATT would eliminate the common excuse of arms-exporting countries that if they don’t sell weapons to a questionable recipient, someone else will. Yet setting clearer guidelines for arms exporters is only half the equation. Regulations must also apply to smaller importing and trans-shipment countries, most of which are in the developing world. The treaty will offer a more effective response to the complex transnational networks of arms traffickers.

As a Nobel Peace laureate and a citizen of a region still suffering the effects of irresponsible arms transfers, I applaud the British Government’s position in the deepening crisis of arms proliferation. Now that the UK has assumed a central role in promoting the ATT and its global principles, it is vital to consolidate and expand support for the initiative without delay.

The summit meeting of G8 leaders is a watershed opportunity for Britain to bring the ATT to the forefront of the group’s agenda. The UK must seek to shape the ratification process, setting timetables, seeking venues and challenging straggler governments to come on board. A treaty regulating the flow of conventional weapons will meet with the opposition of some of the world’s most powerful interest groups, and it will take courage and perseverance to persuade blocking governments. To incorporate the perspectives of importing and exporting countries and consult with civil society worldwide is critical to obtain an ATT.

In this complex, intensive and long-term task it is heartening to count on such an influential and dynamic friend as Britain.

OSCAR ARIAS
San José, Costa Rica

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