Brazil is the 97th country to assimilate the Arms Trade Treaty
Ratification of this mechanism comes into force more than five years after it was signed.
Manaus, 16/09/2015. TJAM sends 352 firearms to be destroyed at the Army’s 12th Supply Battalion, at the 53 km mark on the AM-010 Highway.
From Monday 12 November, Brazil will officially be one of the 99 countries committed to the ATT (Arms Trade Treaty). This mechanism sets out minimum standards for the international trade of conventional weapons and ammunition. The aim is to curb the use of these weapons in transnational crimes and serious human rights violations.
Despite being one of the first countries to sign the treaty in 2013, the process of ratification and adherence by Brazil was completed only today, 12 November. Brazil is the third largest exporter of light weapons in the world. This category includes pistols, revolvers, rifles and machine guns. There is still no transparent legislation to regulate the international commercialisation of these items.
One of the guiding principles of the ATT is that members of the agreement cannot export arms to states that violate human rights. Another is the implementation of transparency measures for the regulation and international sale of weapons, such as the presentation of an annual report on arms trade.
“The expectation is that Brazil’s incorporation into the ATT will lead to a change in domestic policy. We are currently subject to legislation that treats the international trade of arms as being a mixture of national security and commercial interests, with transparency taking second place.” Explained Jefferson Nascimento, Assistant on the Conectas Development and Socioenvironmental Rights Programme. “With its commitment to ATT, Brazil will have to review this legislation and will also have put a stop to practices like the sale of arms and ammunition to Saudi Arabia, known to violate human rights in the war with Yemen, using Brazilian ammunition.” He concluded.
