2013 sees the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s great encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), addressed “to all people of good will”. In the encyclical, Pope John called on states to reduce arms stockpiles – nuclear and conventional – and for “a general agreement … about progressive disarmament and an effective method of control”. He also expressed the hope that the UN “may become ever more equal to the magnitude and nobility of its tasks”. In 1994, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace urged the international community to ensure that: “arms transfers [are] effectively controlled and radically reduced”. More recently, Holy See diplomats have reiterated the primary importance of the rule of law in the international system.
While the context of such pronouncements changes, the reality that conventional arms, in the wrong hands, remain the world’s greatest non-natural killer, does not. Which is why the announcement on 2 April that the UN had voted for a global Arms Trade Treaty – after seven years of hard effort in which the UK played a critical role – is such an important one. When the Treaty enters into force it will require States parties to: control arms exports; prohibit the export of arms that would be used for genocide or crimes against humanity; assess all exports of arms for their impact on peace and security and the risk of misuse (for example violations of human rights); and not authorise exports that pose unacceptable risks. 154 countries voted in favour, and only 3 – Iran, Syria, and North Korea – against. The Treaty puts law and human rights at the heart of global arms export licensing and represents a significant addition to the rules-based international system.
More importantly, it will save lives, reduce human suffering, impede terrorist access to weapons, and support development. Access to weapons needed by states for legitimate self-defence will be protected. As the NGO Saferworld commented, the Treaty “will make a real difference to the thousands of people who live in fear of armed violence”.
This has been an international effort. I would like to commend in particular those countries – Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan and Kenya – which along with the UK co-authored the original UN Resolution in 2006; and which alongside New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Mexico and the US tabled the UN General Assembly Resolution to adopt the draft Treaty. The Holy See also supported the passage of the Treaty at the UN, and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace has called it “an excellent result”, in particular through the introduction of clear juridical criteria for regulating the arms trade.
There is much work to do to see the Arms Trade Treaty implemented. We count on the Holy See to continue to use its influence and work alongside us in this endeavour. Ultimately, the vote in the UN is a great victory for the common good, which will protect people and make the world a safer place. It is a further step to the goals outlined by the author of Pacem in Terris. It deserves our full support.