John Duncan

Arms Trade Treaty: The UN Launches Further Urgent Work

A quick note from the Airport lounge as I head back to Geneva. A little over 2 hours ago the UN 1st Committee took a decision to launch further urgent work on the ATT. A good result after 4 weeks intense negotiation by my team.

In  a vote 148 countries voted to support the Resolution, put forward by the UK and the 7 Co-Authors (Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica Finland, Kenya and Japan), an overwhelming majority.

Only the US and Zimbabwe voted against while 18 countries abstained. Of the 18, many said they had difficulties with the procedure rather than the substance. Absolutely right too given the backdrop of the terrible events in the Congo. Any better example of why we need an ATT I can hardly imagine.

Posted at 20:44 31 October 2008 by John Duncan  |  Comments[0]

Week 3 at the UN: Over 100 Countries join the Arms Trade Treaty Team

Many thanks to all who have commented on my last entry. The last ten days have been pretty manic in New York as we finalised the draft resolution to take forward the ATT. Then my team joined diplomats from our core group (Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan, Kenya) to spread out amongst the other delegations to seek their support. We were joined by diplomats from countries including Indonesia, Nigeria, Jamaica, Trinidad, France, Portugal. This what David Miliband calls the Global Hub - the UK working with a range of different countries who share the same vision.

Meanwhile the NGO’s are amazingly active with intense lobbying, including of me,  to do more, go further faster, compromise less. They wait outside the committee room ready to pounce on unwary diplomats. You can follow some of what they have been doing on the Control Arms Website (link on the sidebar).

On Tuesday Argentina formally tabled the draft resolution on behalf of our core group. On Wednesday I presented the UK’s vision in a formal statement to the UN 1^st Committee. I am fairly forthright. Diplomacy is not always about being tactful. Sometimes you have to tell it like it is.

By the end of the week, over 100 countries agree to “Co-Sponsor” the resolution. This means they agree with us that we need an ATT. Our work over the coming days is to reach out to these countries who still have doubts, both here in New York, but also through British Embassies overseas to persuade them to join us. 

Posted at 23:05 24 October 2008 by John Duncan  |  Comments[0]