Arms Reduction Coalition

Last updated

The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) is a United Kingdom-based non-profit non-governmental organisation which campaigns for a reduction in the resources spent on arms and the military and for those resources to be diverted to programmes that benefit humanity and the earth; such as poverty reduction, sustainable development, protecting the vulnerable, systems for peaceful Conflict resolution and maintaining the environment. [1]

Contents

The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) is a calling for the United Nations (UN) to agree a legally binding instrument requiring United Nations member states to reduce the amount of resources spent on arms by 1% - 5% per year for a period of 10 to 25 years. This is based on Article 26 of the United Nations Charter which states "In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources, the UN Security Council shall be responsible for formulating…, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations for the establishment of a system for the regulation of Armaments". [2]

Arms Reduction Coalition Arms Reduction Coalition (emblem).gif
Arms Reduction Coalition

History

ARC was officially launched at a meeting organised by Action for UN Renewal [ clarification needed ] on 7 May 2002 at the House of Commons in London. [1]

ARC campaigns to encourage the United Nations member states to 'Implement Article 26 of the UN Charter' by reducing the diversion for armaments of the world's human and economic resources by a set percentage each year. This policy is or has been advocated by other organisations such as the International Peace Bureau, World Bank, [3] some members of the United Nations (such as France in 1955, The Soviet Union in 1956, Brazil in 1964, by Romania in 1975 and 1977 and Senegal in 1978) and The General Assembly (in 1973 as Resolution 3093); usually under the principle of Disarmament for Development. [4] [5] The idea can be traced back [4] to 1955 when the French Prime Minister Edgar Faure tabled a plan at a meeting of the UN Disarmament Commission [5]; proposing the "progressive reduction of military expenditures and the potential reallocation of the resources thus released to tasks of 'development' and 'mutual assistance' in order to improve the standard of living of the developing countries". [2]

According to its official website, the goals of the ARCUK were indirectly accomplished through the creation of the Arms Trade Treaty. [1]

Membership

ARC's Patrons include Dennis Haliday, Bruce Kent, Peter Archer, Baron Archer of Sandwell, Alice Mahon, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Linda Melvern. [1] [6]

Individuals and organisations from around the world are encouraged to join ARC by endorsing the ARC Resolution or becoming a member. Organisations from all continents have endorsed the ARC resolution. [6] Similar resolutions have been adopted by other groups [7] such as United Nations Association UK, [8] The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century, [9] German Party of Democratic Socialism and Greenpeace.

ARC resolution

ARC's campaign is driven by this United Nations style resolution. Supporters and members are requested endorse this resolution.

The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC):

"Concerned by the obstacles, threats and difficulties that the large amounts of arms in circulation pose to the maintenance of peace and security and to Non-Governmental Organisations and UN departments in carrying out their work;

Concerned by the disproportionately large amount of the world’s human and economic resources being expended on arms;

Recalling that Article 26 of the United Nations (UN) Charter calls for "the least diversion for Armaments of the world’s human and economic resources";

Calls upon the United Nations General assembly, to agree, and for all signatory States of The United Nations to ratify, a legally binding instrument:

a) to reduce the diversion for Armaments of their State's human and economic resources by between one and five percent per year;

b) to establish and maintain systems that enable annual independent verification and auditing of their States compliance;

c) to establish a United Nations mechanism to facilitate implementation; dealing with such matters as non-compliance, concessions, reporting and auditing standards, and the publication of targets and achievements annually;

d) that specifies how amounts diverted from Armaments are to be used on State and UN programmes such as poverty reduction, sustainable development, conflict prevention, peaceful resolution of conflict, protecting the vulnerable, maintaining the environment; and effective and efficient implementation of the legally binding Instrument;

e) that gives full opportunities to non-governmental organisations and other non state actors to make their contributions in implementation, compliance and allocation of resources;

f) that requires review and re-commitment by the States to the legally binding Instrument after a period of between 10 and 25 years."

ARC publications

Some publications distributed by ARC (under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike licence) include:

Sources

Doc: DC/71, annex 16. France: draft agreement on the financial supervision of disarmament and the allocation for peaceful purposes on the funds made available [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations</span> Intergovernmental self-regulatory body

The United Nations (UN) is a diplomatic and political international organization with the intended purpose of maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations, achieving international cooperation, and serving as a center for coordinating the actions of member nations. It is widely recognised as the world's largest international organization. The UN is headquartered in New York City, in international territory with certain privileges extraterritorial to the United States, and the UN has other offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague, where the International Court of Justice is headquartered at the Peace Palace.

Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Historically, arms control may apply to melee weapons before the invention of firearm. Arms control is typically exercised through the use of diplomacy which seeks to impose such limitations upon consenting participants through international treaties and agreements, although it may also comprise efforts by a nation or group of nations to enforce limitations upon a non-consenting country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disarmament</span> Act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons, usually on a national scale

Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms. General and Complete Disarmament was defined by the United Nations General Assembly as the elimination of all WMD, coupled with the “balanced reduction of armed forces and conventional armaments, based on the principle of undiminished security of the parties with a view to promoting or enhancing stability at a lower military level, taking into account the need of all States to protect their security.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conference on Disarmament</span> Multilateral disarmament forum

The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is a multilateral disarmament forum established by the international community to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Conference meets annually in three separate sessions in Geneva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockholm International Peace Research Institute</span> Research institute in Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Stockholm. It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade as well as disarmament and arms control. The research is based on open sources and is directed to decision-makers, researchers, media and the interested public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2003

United Nations Security Council resolution 1483, adopted on 22 May 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation between Iraq and Kuwait, the Council lifted trade sanctions against Iraq and terminated the Oil-for-Food Programme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Millennium Declaration</span> United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted in 2000

On 8 September 2000, following a three-day Millennium Summit of world leaders gathered in New York at the headquarters of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly adopted some 60 goals regarding peace; development; environment; human rights; the vulnerable, hungry, and poor; Africa; and the United Nations which is called Millennium Declaration . A follow-up outcome of the resolution was passed by the General Assembly on 14 December 2000 to guide its implementation. Progress on implementation of the Declaration was reviewed at the 2005 World Summit of leaders. The Declaration includes 8 chapters and 32 paragraphs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Mission in Liberia</span> Peacekeeping operation in West Africa

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was a United Nations peacekeeping operation established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003). At its peak it consisted of up to 15,000 UN military personnel and 1,115 police officers, along with civilian political advisors and aid workers.

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is a research institute of the United Nations focused on disarmament and international security. It was established in 1980 by the United Nations General Assembly with the stated purpose of informing states and the global community on questions of international security, and to assist with disarmament efforts so as to facilitate progress toward greater security and economic and social development for all.

Chapter V of the United Nations Charter contains provisions establishing the United Nations Security Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widad Akrawi</span> Kurdish health expert and activist

Widad Akreyi is a Kurdish health expert and human rights activist. She has co-founded the human rights organization Defend International and is the author of several books about both health issues and human rights.

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) is a non-governmental organisation representing the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) at the United Nations in Geneva and New York City. Parent bodies of QUNO are the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), American Friends Service Committee and Quaker Peace and Social Witness. FWCC holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and the Quaker UN Offices in New York and Geneva operate on behalf of Friends worldwide through this status. The offices work closely on issues of Human Rights and refugees, peace and disarmament, human impacts of climate change, as well as peacebuilding and the prevention of violent conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs</span> Office of the United Nations Secretariat

The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) is an Office of the United Nations Secretariat established in January 1998 as the Department for Disarmament Affairs, part of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's plan to reform the UN as presented in his report to the General Assembly in July 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arms Trade Treaty</span> International treaty regulating arms trade (2014 - onwaards)

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1270</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 1999

United Nations Security Council resolution 1270 was adopted unanimously on 22 October 1999. After recalling resolutions 1171 (1998), 1181 (1998), 1231 (1999) and 1260 (1999) on the situation in Sierra Leone and Resolution 1265 (1999) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, resolution 1270 adopted by the Security Council established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to assist in the implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2003

United Nations Security Council resolution 1509, adopted unanimously on 19 September 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in Liberia, including Resolution 1497 (2003), the council established the 15,000-strong United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to assist in implementing a ceasefire and peace agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1977</span> United Nations resolution adopted in 2011

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1977, adopted unanimously on April 20, 2011, after recalling resolutions 1540 (2004), 1673 (2006) and 1810 (2008) concerning non-proliferation —to monitor efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction from being acquired by terrorists or other non-state actors.

Gender and security sector reform is an emerging subfield of security sector reform (SSR) that is both practical and conceptual. SSR generally is a comprehensive framework within which all or part of a state's security sector undergoes a process of transformation in order to bring it more into line with principles such as democratic oversight, good governance and the rule of law. The overall objectives of SSR programmes – as defined both by the state in question and any international donors supporting the process – tend to include improving service delivery, enhancing local ownership and ensuring the sustainability of security sector institutions. As gender-specific approaches take into account the specific needs of men, women, boys and girls through gender mainstreaming and by promoting the equal participation of people of all genders in decision-making processes, states and international organisations increasingly consider them to be a necessary component of SSR programmes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "About the Arms Reduction Coalition". arcwebsite.org. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  2. 1 2 "From Article 26 to an institutional link between disarmament and development". 2007-07-11. Archived from the original on 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  3. ↑ "Disarmament and Development". 2006-09-06. Archived from the original on 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2023-07-10. Security, Poverty Reduction & Sustainable Development Challenges for a new Millennium September 1999 World Bank
  4. ↑ "Disarmament and Development". 2006-09-06. Archived from the original on 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2023-07-10. A 59 119 relationship between disarmament and development Report of the Group of Governmental Experts on the relationship between disarmament and development.
  5. ↑ France (1987-09-11). "Note on the final document :: International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development 24 August-11 September 1987, New York /: by France". Final Document of the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development 11 September 1987. United Nations publication, Sales No. E.87.IX.8{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. 1 2 "ARC UK- Become a member". 2008-08-20. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  7. ↑ "Some Arms Reduction Resolutions". 2008-08-20. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  8. ↑ "UNA UK – United Nations Association of United Kingdom". 2017-07-08. Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  9. ↑ "Hague Appeal for Peace". 2019-03-20. Archived from the original on 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  10. ↑ "The Arms Reduction Coalition Resolution - Translations Index". 2008-08-20. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  11. ↑ "ARC Petition Form". arcwebsite.org. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  12. ↑ "ARC Music". 2008-08-20. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  13. ↑ Disarmament Commission DC/71 (in English and French). New York: United Nations. 1955. pp. 25–26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.