The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is the first legally binding international instrument to establish common standards for the cross-border transfer of conventional arms. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 2 April 2013, opened for signature on 3 June 2013, and entered into force on 24 December 2014 after reaching the threshold of 50 ratifications.
The treaty covers eight categories of conventional weapons drawn largely from the UN Register of Conventional Arms: battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons. It also regulates the export of ammunition, parts, and components for these systems.
Under Article 6, states parties are prohibited from authorising a transfer if it would violate UN Security Council arms embargoes, breach other international obligations, or if the state has knowledge the arms would be used in genocide, crimes against humanity, or grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. Article 7 requires exporting states to conduct a risk assessment weighing the potential for the arms to undermine peace and security or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law, including gender-based violence.
The ATT does not regulate domestic gun ownership, nor does it ban any specific weapon. Implementation relies on national control systems, annual reporting, and the Conference of States Parties, which meets annually and is supported by a Secretariat based in Geneva.
Notable positions:
- The United States signed the treaty in 2013 under the Obama administration but never ratified it; in 2019 the Trump administration announced it would "unsign" the treaty.
- Russia, China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Iran are not parties.
- Major European exporters, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan are states parties.
Civil society coalitions such as Control Arms played a central role in negotiations, and the treaty is frequently invoked in domestic litigation challenging arms exports to conflict zones.
Example
In 2019, the UK Court of Appeal ruled in *Campaign Against Arms Trade v Secretary of State for International Trade* that British arms licences to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen were unlawful, a case argued in part with reference to ATT-aligned risk assessment obligations.
Frequently asked questions
No. The ATT regulates the transfer of conventional arms across borders but does not prohibit the production, possession, or use of any specific weapon system.
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