Arms Trade Treaty
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a legal instrument adopted in 2013 to regulate the international trade in arms and prevent their illicit movement. The ATT establishes rules to control the export of conventional arms and ammunition, with an emphasis on preventing their diversion to human rights and international humanitarian law violations and to support terrorism. The Convention strengthens global security and stability by ensuring responsible trade in arms, thus preventing their proliferation to areas where they can contribute to fuelling violence and conflict.
The purpose of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is to establish the highest possible common international standards for regulating or improving the regulation of the international trade in conventional arms, to prevent diversion and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms and to prevent their diversion, to contribute to the reduction of human suffering and to ensure international peace, security and stability.
The ATT commits States Parties to monitor arms imports and exports, to respect existing arms embargoes, and to prevent human rights violations and terrorism, including through the establishment of standardised import and export regulations. The ATT applies to all conventional weapons listed in the UN Register of Conventional Arms (battle tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and launchers) and to small arms and light weapons. Each Contracting Party may also establish at the national level a system of control and regulation of the export of ammunition and munitions, and parts and components from which conventional weapons can be assembled.
The ATT was established by a UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 2 April 2013 and entered into force on 24 December 2014. The Czech Republic, one of the first signatories to the ATT, contributed to its entry into force by its ratification on 25 September 2014.
Czechia is a traditional producer of defence and security technology. For this reason, the Czech national arms export control rules are even stricter than required by the ATT. The Czech Republic is in favour of making the arms trade a more responsible sector, which takes into account, among other things, the maintenance of international peace and security and the prevention of serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. Therefore, the Czech Republic advocates the accelerated universalization of the ATT.
More information on the ATT website.
