From 11th – 15th September 2017, the Centre for Armed Violence Reduction and PSAAG attended the Third Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (CSP3) in Geneva. The Conference of States Parties is an annual event, bringing together the nations which have ratified the ATT, signatories to the treaty, UN bodies and civil society, including NGOs working to reduce armed violence around the world.
CSP3 was much needed. Since the ATT entered into force in 2014, it has seen historic levels of adoption around the world. Yet, armed violence remains high and many states fail to meet their obligations under the treaty. CSP3 brought together 106 countries and provided an opportunity for state actors and civil society to discuss how the ATT could better be implemented and how more lives could be saved.
On the third day, CAVR launched our landmark report on the Broader Benefits of the Arms Trade Treaty. This publication aims to reinvigorate the narrative surrounding the ATT, dispelling harmful myths and misinformation.
We followed this up in New York, with the launch of our Implementation Guide.
A key theme of CSP3 was the link between the ATT and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the Centre has long recognised. The three working groups focussing on Treaty Implementation, Transparency and Reporting, and Treaty Universalisation, will continue to investigate links between the SDGs and the ATT in the coming year.
Ambassador Nobushige Takamizawa of Japan was elected as the President of the Fourth Conference of States Parties, with CSP4 currently scheduled to take place in Japan in August 2018.
