Religious leaders and communities have the potential to play an instrumental role in the success of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). They are frequently the first to recognize and speak up about the devastating impact of irresponsible arms use on communities and the moral duty to regulate the trade of these deadly devices. These communities can be critical in providing education and information about the Treaty and building networks for advocacy and monitoring.

As the world’s governments come together to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty, it is important that the world’s faith communities also give voice to their concern about the humanitarian suffering caused by irresponsible arms transfers and urge governments to remain mindful of their responsibility to negotiate the strongest possible treaty. The Interfaith Declaration is a sign-on letter created by several member organizations of the Control Arms Coalition.

The Declaration was originally drafted by Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR), Caritas France and CCFD -Terre Solidaire and recently revised by a working group of approximately 15 organizations, who constitute the Interfaith Working Group of the Control Arms Coalition.

Since the launch of the Interfaith Declaration with the Dozen Days of Action (September 21-October 2), the declaration has been signed by more than 40 religious leaders and 50 faith-based organizations located in more than ten countries. The declaration will remain available for signature until it is presented to governments ahead of the 2012 treaty negotiations.

Interfaith Declaration in Support of an Arms Trade Treaty

Every year, communities are divided or destroyed and millions of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of war and armed violence. The poorly regulated global trade in conventional arms and ammunition fuels conflict, poverty, gender-based violence and human rights abuses. Such injustices are an affront to human dignity and the sacredness of life.

As the world’s governments convene to negotiate a global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), we, as religious leaders and communities, faith groups and faith-based organizations urge them to negotiate in good faith an effective ATT that will reduce the human suffering caused by irresponsibly traded weapons.

While existing national, sub-regional, and regional regulations are important, they are not enough to stop irresponsible transfers of arms and ammunition between countries. That is why a global treaty for arms trade that sets binding standards for arms transfers is needed. A strong ATT will clarify and set obligations under international law and thereby reduce the human cost associated with the proliferation of all conventional arms. Furthermore, an ATT will make it easier to distinguish between legal and illegal trade and elucidate when an arms transfers should be prohibited. A comprehensive agreement will also help close existing loopholes that make the diversion of arms possible.

In 2009, a1 UN General Assembly resolution established a process for elaborating an ATT with preparatory committee meetings in 2010 and 2011 and a four-week UN Conference in 2012 that seeks to produce a “legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms.”

The summer 2012 conference is rapidly approaching and the world’s leaders have a moral responsibility to ensure that a robust treaty is negotiated. At a minimum, the ATT should establish that no international transfers of arms and ammunition will take place if there is a substantial risk that the transfer will be used in serious violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law or impair poverty reduction or socio-economic development.

As religious leaders, faith groups and faith-based organisations we strongly welcome these steps toward a negotiated ATT. We call upon the member states of the United Nations to negotiate and deliver a strong and effective ATT that has real impact on people’s lives.

We raise our collective voice to call on all governments to work together to save lives and end the human suffering caused by irresponsible transfers of conventional arms. Furthermore, we urge governments to remain mindful of the humanitarian imperative that drives this process and find a solution that moves all nations further along the path to peace and development.

This is a chance for all involved to make history, to uphold human dignity, and to save lives.

The Control Arms coalition encourages religious leaders, organizations and people of all faiths to take action by adding their signature to the Interfaith Declaration on the ATT. To sign the declaration, please email Control Arms at info@controlarms.org.

View a current list of religious leaders and faith-based organizations that have signed the Declaration.