Arms Trade Treaty

Last updated

Arms Trade Treaty
Arms Trade Treaty status.svg
Map showing which states have signed or ratified the Treaty.
  Signatories
  Parties
SignedOpen for signature from 3 June 2013
Location New York City, USA
Sealed2 April 2013 (2013-04-02)
Effective24 December 2014 (2014-12-24) [1]
Condition90 days after ratification by 50 states (Article 22)
Signatories130 [2]
Parties113 [2]
Depositary UN Secretary-General
LanguagesArabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Full text
Wikisource-logo.svg Arms Trade Treaty at Wikisource

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

Contents

It entered into force on 24 December 2014. [1] 113 states have ratified the treaty, and a further 28 states have signed but not ratified it. [2]

The ATT is an attempt to regulate the international trade of conventional weapons for the purpose of contributing to international and regional peace; reducing human suffering; and promoting co-operation, transparency, and responsible action by and among states. [3] [4]

The treaty was negotiated in New York City at a global conference under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) from 2–27 July 2012. [5] As it was not possible to reach an agreement on a final text at that time, a new meeting for the conference was scheduled for 18–28 March 2013. [6] On 2 April 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted the ATT. [7] [8]

International weapons commerce has been estimated to reach US$70 billion a year. [9]

Origins

The roots of what is known today as the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) can be traced back to the late 1980s, when civil society actors and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates voiced their concerns about the unregulated nature of the global arms trade and its impact on human security. [10]

The ATT is part of a larger global effort begun in 1997 by Costa Rican President and 1987 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Óscar Arias. In that year, Arias led a group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates in a meeting in New York to offer the world a code of conduct for the trade in arms. This group included Elie Wiesel, Betty Williams, the Dalai Lama, José Ramos-Horta, representatives of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Amnesty International, and the American Friends Service Committee. The original idea was to establish ethical standards for the arms trade that would eventually be adopted by the international community. Over the following 16 years, the Arias Foundation for Peace & Human Progress has played an instrumental role in achieving approval of the treaty.

In 2001, the process continued with the adoption of a non-legally binding program of action at the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms. This program was formally called the "Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects" (PoA). [11]

Later put forward in 2003 by a group of Nobel Peace Laureates, the ATT was first addressed in the UN in December 2006 when the General Assembly adopted resolution 61/89 "Towards an Arms Trade Treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms".

The ATT, like the PoA, is predicated upon a hypothesis that the illicit trade in small arms is a large and serious problem requiring global action through the UN. According to a well regarded 2012 Routledge Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution publication, "the relative importance of diversion or misuse of officially authorised transfers, compared to international entirely illegal black market trafficking has been thoroughly confirmed." [12] :90 The authors go on to elaborate that, "For most developing or fragile states, a combination of weak domestic regulation of authorised firearms possession with theft, loss or corrupt sale from official holdings tends to be a bigger source of weapons concern than illicit trafficking across borders." [12] :90

Development

UN resolution 61/89

On 18 December 2006, UK Ambassador for Multilateral Arms Control and Disarmament John Duncan formally introduced resolution 61/89, which requested that the UN Secretary-General seek the views of UN member states on the feasibility, scope, and draft parameters for a "comprehensive, legally binding instrument establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms", and submit a report on the subject to the General Assembly. 94 states submitted their views, which are contained in the 2007 report A/62/278. [13] Duncan was speaking on behalf of the co-authors (Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Japan, and Kenya). On behalf of the European Union, Finland highlighted the support for the effort, saying: "everyday, everywhere, people are affected by the side effects of irresponsible arms transfers ... As there is currently no comprehensive internationally binding instrument available to provide an agreed regulatory framework for this activity, the EU welcomes the growing support, in all parts of the world, for an ATT." [14] 94 States submitted their views, which are contained in the 2007 report A/62/278. [13]

In December 2006, 153 member states voted in favor of the resolution. Twenty-four countries abstained: Bahrain, Belarus, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Marshall Islands, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, UAE, Venezuela, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. [15]

Responding to procedural concerns that were not resolved before the final draft of the resolution, the UK said the aim of the initiative was to start a discussion on the feasibility and draft parameters of an Arms Trade Treaty, and that "agnostic" states would have a clear opportunity to engage in the process. After the vote, Algeria indicated that the effort must receive broad-based support from states and be based on the principles of the UN Charter. [16]

Group of Governmental Experts

Resolution 61/89 also requested the Secretary-General to establish a group of governmental experts, on the basis of equitable geographical distribution, to examine the feasibility, scope, and draft parameters for such a legal instrument, and to transmit the report of the group of experts to the General Assembly for consideration at its sixty-third session. On 28 September 2007, the Secretary-General appointed a Group of Governmental Experts from the following 28 countries: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and United States. The group met three times in 2008, and published a final report on the issue. [17] [18] [19]

Preparatory Committee and Conference

In 2009, Óscar Arias, then in his second term as President of Costa Rica, introduced the Treaty at the United Nations, saying:

I return today, as a Rip Van Winkle of the modern era, to see that everything has changed except this. Peace continues to be a step further away. Nuclear and conventional weapons still exist despite the promises. It is up to us to ensure that in twenty years we do not awaken to the same terrors we suffer today. I am not ignorant of the fact that the biggest arms dealers in the world are represented here. But today I do not speak to the arms manufacturers, but rather to the leaders of humanity, who have the responsibility to put principles before profits, and enable the promise of a future in which, finally, we can sleep peacefully.

In that same year, an Open-ended Working Group—open to all States—held two meetings on an arms trade treaty. A total of six sessions of this Group were planned. However, at the end of 2009, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided by resolution A/RES/64/48 [20] to convene a Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012 "to elaborate a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms". The decision was influenced by the change in position of the United States (the largest arms producer [21] and only country voting against resolution 61/89), which took place upon a change in leadership from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, on the condition they were "under the rule of consensus decision-making needed to ensure that all countries can be held to standards that will actually improve the global situation." [22]

Adoption of the Treaty

United Nations General Assembly vote on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2013.

In favour
Against
Abstentions
Absent
Non-member Arms Trade Treaty UN adoption.svg
United Nations General Assembly vote on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2013.
  In favour
  Against
  Abstentions
  Absent
  Non-member

The UN General Assembly of 2 April 2013 (71st Plenary Meeting) adopted the ATT as a resolution by a 154-to-3 vote with 23 abstentions. North Korea, Iran, and Syria voted in opposition. China and Russia, among the world's leaders in weapon exports, were among the 23 nations that abstained. [23] Cuba, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan also abstained. Armenia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Vietnam did not vote. [9]

The treaty was opened for formal signature by all states in New York on 3 June 2013. [2] It entered into force on 24 December 2014, 90 days after the date of the 50th ratification. [1]

Content

The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs claimed the treaty would not interfere with domestic arms commerce or the right to bear arms in its member states; ban the export of any type of weapon; harm the legitimate right to self-defence; or undermine national arms regulation standards already in place. [24] [25]

The Arms Trade Treaty obligates member states to monitor arms exports and ensure that weapons don't cross existing arms embargoes or end up being used for human-rights abuses, including terrorism. Member states, with the assistance of the U.N., will put into place enforceable, standardized arms import and export regulations (much like those that already exist in the U.S.) and be expected to track the destination of exports to ensure they do not end up in the wrong hands. Ideally, that means limiting the inflow of deadly weapons into places like Syria. [26]

Advocates of the treaty say that it only pertains to international arms trade, and would have no effect on current domestic laws. [27] [28] [29] These advocates point to the UN General Assembly resolution starting the process on the ATT. The resolution explicitly states that it is "the exclusive right of States to regulate internal transfers of arms and national ownership, including through constitutional protections on private ownership."

Advocated contents

International non-government and human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Oxfam, the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, Saferworld, and the International Action Network on Small Arms (who lead the Control Arms Campaign) have developed analysis on what an effective ATT would look like. [30]

It would ensure that no transfer is permitted if there is substantial risk that it is likely to:

Loopholes would be minimized. It would include:

The Amnesty International website "loopholes" include shotguns marketed for deer hunting that are virtually the same as military/police shotguns and rifles marketed for long range target shooting that are virtually the same as military/police sniper rifles. Amnesty International advocates that the civilian guns must be included in any workable arms trade controls; otherwise, governments could authorize export/import of sporting guns virtually the same as military/police weapons in function. [31]

It must be workable and enforceable. It must:

NGOs are also advocating that the ATT must reinforce existing responsibilities to assist survivors of armed violence, as well as identify new avenues to address suffering and trauma.

Criticism

Campaigners outside the UN calling upon delegates to the third Conference of States Parties on the Arms Trade Treaty in Geneva to immediately stop arms transfers that violate the Treaty and kill and injure thousands of people around the world. CSP 2017 Campaign Action (36990174782).jpg
Campaigners outside the UN calling upon delegates to the third Conference of States Parties on the Arms Trade Treaty in Geneva to immediately stop arms transfers that violate the Treaty and kill and injure thousands of people around the world.

Opposition to the ATT can be broken down into state opposition and civil society opposition. Over thirty states have objected to various parts of the ATT during negotiations, the majority of which held strong concerns about the implications for national sovereignty. [32] From a civil society point of view, groups concerned about national sovereignty or individual rights to armed defense have been negative of the ATT. While not fundamentally opposed to an ATT, these groups are keenly sensitive to ensuring an ATT does not undermine national constitutional protections and individual rights. The most vocal and organized civil society groups opposing aspects of the ATT originated from the United States. These groups include the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), [33] the National Shooting Sports Foundation, [34] the Second Amendment Foundation, [35] and The Heritage Foundation. [36] The NRA and the Gun Owners of America say that the treaty is an attempt to circumvent the Second Amendment and similar guarantees in state constitutions in order to impose domestic gun regulations. [37]

One of the largest sources of civil opposition to the ATT has come from the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), which is the lobbying arm of the NRA. In July 2012, ILA stated that:

Anti-gun treaty proponents continue to mislead the public, claiming the treaty would have no impact on American gun owners. This is a bald-faced lie. For example, the most recent draft treaty includes export/import controls that would require officials in an importing country to collect information on the "end user" of a firearm, keep the information for 20 years, and provide the information to the country from which the gun was exported. In other words, if you bought a Beretta Shotgun, you would be an "end user" and the U.S. government would have to keep a record of you and notify the Italian government about your purchase. That is gun registration. If the U.S. refuses to implement this data collection on law-abiding American gun owners, other nations might be required to ban the export of firearms to the U.S. [38]

On 12 July 2012, the United States issued a statement condemning the selection of Iran to serve as vice president of the conference. The statement called the move "outrageous" and noted that Iran is under UN Security Council sanctions for weapons proliferation. [39]

Canada was accused by Project Ploughshares, a Canadian human rights group, of violating the treaty, as well as its own laws, by selling "Group 2" types of high-tech imaging and targeting systems to Turkey to conduct its air campaigns in the Syrian civil war. [40]

Signatories and parties

Signature of Slovenia Marn Matej - Slovenia Signing the Arms Trade Treaty (8962487347).jpg
Signature of Slovenia

As of December 2022, 113 states have ratified or acceded to the ATT, [2] including six of the world's top 10 arms producers (France, Germany, Spain, China, the United Kingdom and Italy). [41] Twenty-one ratifying states provisionally applied articles 6 and 7 of the treaty, pending its entry into force. [2] The strong support of the European Union for this treaty is seen in its ATT Outreach Project (ATT-OP) established by EU Council Decision 2013/768/CFSP. [42]

States that have ratified the Arms Trade Treaty
StateSignedRatified or accededEntry into force
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan 29 July 202029 July 2020
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania 3 June 201319 March 201424 December 2014
Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra 18 December 20142 December 20222 March 2023
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 3 June 201312 August 201312 August 2013 [note 1]
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 3 June 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 3 June 20133 June 201424 December 2014
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 3 June 20133 June 20143 June 2014 [note 1]
Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 3 June 201325 September 201425 September 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados 25 September 201320 May 201518 August 2015
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 3 June 20133 June 201424 December 2014
Flag of Belize.svg  Belize 3 June 201319 March 201517 June 2015
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin 3 June 20137 November 20165 February 2017
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 25 September 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 7 June 20197 June 2019
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 3 June 201314 August 201812 November 2018
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 2 July 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 3 June 20133 June 201424 December 2014
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cabo Verde 25 September 201323 September 201622 December 2016
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 3 December 201418 June 201816 September 2018
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 19 June 201919 June 2019
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 7 October 20155 January 2016
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad 25 September 201325 March 201523 June 2015
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 3 June 201318 May 201816 August 2018
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 20 June 202020 June 20206 July 2020
Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 3 June 201325 September 201325 September 2013 [note 1]
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Côte d'Ivoire 3 June 201326 February 201527 May 2015
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 3 June 201310 May 20168 August 2016
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 3 June 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 3 June 20132 April 2014 [note 2] 2 April 2014 [note 2] [note 1]
Flag of Dominica.svg  Dominica 1 October 201321 May 201519 August 2015
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 3 June 201311 August 201424 December 2014
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 5 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of France.svg  France 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon 25 September 201321 September 202221 September 2022
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 25 September 201423 May 201621 August 2016
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 24 September 201322 December 201521 March 2016
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 3 June 20131 March 201630 May 2016
Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada 3 June 201321 October 201324 December 2014
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 24 June 201312 July 201610 October 2016
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 29 July 201321 October 201424 December 2014
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau 26 September 201322 October 201820 January 2019
Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana 3 June 20134 July 201324 December 2014
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 25 September 201322 March 201720 June 2017
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 3 June 20132 July 20132 July 2013 [note 1]
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 3 June 20133 June 201424 December 2014
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 3 June 20139 May 201424 December 2014
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 8 December 20178 March 2018
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon 27 October 20149 May 20199 May 2019
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 25 September 201325 January 201624 April 2016
Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia 4 June 201321 April 201520 July 2015
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein 3 June 201316 December 201424 December 2014
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 3 June 201318 December 201424 December 2014
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg 3 June 20133 June 201424 December 2014
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 25 September 201322 September 201621 December 2016
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives 27 September 201927 September 2019
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali 3 June 20133 December 20133 December 2013 [note 1]
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania 3 June 201328 September 201527 December 2015
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius 23 July 201521 October 2015
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 10 September 201328 September 201527 December 2015
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 3 June 201325 September 201325 September 2013 [note 1]
Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco 30 June 201628 September 2016
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 3 June 201318 August 201424 December 2014
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 3 June 201314 December 201814 December 2018
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 25 September 201428 April 202028 April 2020
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3 June 201318 December 2014 [43] 24 December 2014 [43]
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 3 June 20133 September 20143 September 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger 24 March 201427 July 201525 October 2015
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 12 August 201312 August 201324 December 2014
Flag of Niue.svg  Niue 6 August 20206 August 2020
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia 25 September 20137 March 201424 December 2014
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 3 June 201312 February 201412 February 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Palau.svg  Palau 3 June 20138 April 20198 April 2019
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 3 June 201311 February 201424 December 2014
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay 19 June 20139 April 20158 July 2015
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 25 September 201316 February 201616 May 2016
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 25 September 201224 March 202224 March 2022
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 1 July 201317 December 201424 December 2014
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 3 June 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 25 September 20133 June 201424 December 2014
Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino 19 December 201429 July 201527 October 2015
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  Saint Kitts and Nevis 5 June 201315 December 201424 December 2014
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia 3 June 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3 June 20133 June 20143 June 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg  Sao Tome and Principe 19 December 201428 July 202028 July 2020
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 3 June 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 12 August 20135 December 201412 August 2013 [note 3]
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles 3 June 20132 November 201531 January 2016
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 25 September 201312 August 201424 December 2014
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 10 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 3 June 20132 April 201424 December 2014
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 25 September 201322 December 201424 December 2014
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 3 June 201328 November 201626 February 2017
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Palestine.svg  State of Palestine 27 December 201727 March 2018
Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname 3 June 201319 October 201817 January 2019
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 3 June 201316 June 201416 June 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland 3 June 201330 January 201530 April 2015
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo 3 June 20138 October 20156 January 2016
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 3 June 201325 September 201325 September 2013 [note 1]
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu 3 June 20134 September 20153 December 2015
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 3 June 20132 April 20142 April 2014 [note 1]
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 3 June 201325 September 201424 December 2014
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 25 September 201320 May 201618 August 2016

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 This state provisionally applied the treaty as of the date of its ratification or accession; the treaty formally entered into force for the state on 24 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 With an exclusion for the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
  3. Serbia provisionally applied the convention on the date of its signature. It did not formally enter into force for Serbia until 24 December 2014.

A further 28 states have signed but not ratified the treaty: [2]

StateSigned
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 24 September 2013
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain 21 November 2013
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 26 September 2013
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi 3 June 2013
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 18 October 2013
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 24 September 2013
Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros 26 September 2013
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Republic of the Congo 25 September 2013
Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti 3 June 2013
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini 4 September 2013
Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti 21 March 2014
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 18 December 2014
Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati 25 September 2013
Flag of Libya.svg  Libya 9 July 2013
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 9 January 2014
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 26 September 2013
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia 24 September 2013
Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru 25 September 2013
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 5 June 2013
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 5 December 2014
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 3 June 2013
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 25 November 2014
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 2 July 2013
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 23 September 2014
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates 9 July 2013
Flag of the United States.svg  United States [Note 1] 25 September 2013
Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu 26 July 2013
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 18 December 2014

Notes

  1. On 26 April 2019, President Donald Trump announced in his speech at an annual NRA meeting that the United States will be withdrawing its signature on the treaty. He signed an order to this effect on stage. [44] [45]

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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">United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540</span> 2004 resolution on non-proliferation of WMDs

United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 was adopted unanimously on 28 April 2004 regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The resolution establishes the obligations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter for all member states to develop and enforce appropriate legal and regulatory measures against the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons and their means of delivery, in particular, to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction to non-state actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Day against Nuclear Tests</span>

The International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed on August 29. It was established on December 2, 2009, at the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly by the resolution 64/35, which was adopted unanimously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons</span> Legally binding international agreement to prohibit nuclear weapons

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, is the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal being their total elimination. It was adopted on 7 July 2017, opened for signature on 20 September 2017, and entered into force on 22 January 2021.

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