Sarah Ford | September 26, 2013

Amnesty International USA Celebrates Human Rights Victory with U.S. Signing of Arms Trade Treaty at United Nations

(NEW YORK) – Amnesty International USA issued the following comment this week from Executive Director Steven W. Hawkins, on the U.S. signing of the Arms Trade Treaty by Secretary of State John Kerry:

“The U.S. signing of the Arms Trade Treaty is a major human rights victory, and a moment to celebrate the extraordinary commitment of millions of activists here in the United States and around the world who spoke out against the irresponsible arms trade and demanded action. The voices were heard at the highest levels of power for two decades of campaigning and today we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to them. This day would not have happened without their determination and passion.

Coming in the midst of concerns about the supply of weapons to the Syria government and Syrian armed opposition groups, the U.S. signature on the treaty signals the intention of the world’s largest arms exporter to respect the terms of the treaty. It is now crucially important for the U.S. to move toward implementing the treaty.

By signing the Arms Trade Treaty Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry has aligned the United States with the vast majority of nations in saying ‘enough’ to this irresponsible international arms bazaar. As the world’s largest exporter of conventional arms, the United States has a special obligation to lead when it comes to ensuring that exported weapons do not fall into the wrong hands. By signing, the United States places more political pressure on other arms exporters to also take action to help establish as transparent and responsible a global arms trade as possible.”

Amnesty International and the Arms Trade Treaty:

Twenty years ago, Amnesty International campaigners and a handful of partners developed the idea for a global treaty that would stop the irresponsible flow of weapons to dictators and others who use them to commit human rights atrocities. Though initially greeted with skepticism, even mocked as simply too audacious, the idea drew support from luminaries like Nobel Peace Laureates Desmond Tutu and Oscar Arias, giving momentum to a worldwide effort by hundreds of thousands of ordinary people who lobbied their governments to push the treaty forward. The movement ultimately produced a significant human rights victory on April 2, 2013, when the treaty was overwhelmingly adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.

Source: Amnesty International USA

Contact: Suzanne Trimel, strimel@aiusa.org, 212-633-4150, @AIUSAmedia

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Explore More Articles

Animal Rescue Team and Disaster Response

September 30, 2024

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Animal Rescue Team (ART) is on call 24/7, ready to deploy whenever animals are caught in large-scale…

Read Article

Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Together We Can End Domestic Abuse

September 24, 2024

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year. People who are…

Read Article

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

September 24, 2024

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – an annual campaign that aims to educate the public on the importance of early screening, testing and treatment for…

Read Article

Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox

Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.

newsletter-mock