Minister Alva Baptiste.
PRESS RELEASE – The Honourable Alva Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, headed Saint Lucia’s delegation to the First Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (“the ATT”) which was held from 24th to 27th August, 2015 in Cancún, Mexico.
The First Conference of States Parties (CSP) brought together States Parties, signatory States, representatives of civil society, industry and international organisations and established the necessary mechanisms to ensure the successful implementation of the Treaty. The Conference, among other things:
-Adopted the Rules of Procedure for the Conference, and all subsequent (CSPs)
-Adopted the Financial Rules, which would govern the ATT Secretariat
-Determined the programme of work up to the next Conference; and
-Decided on matters relating to the Permanent Secretariat of the ATT including the location of the Secretariat.
Saint Lucia, like the rest of the CARICOM Member States have played an active role throughout the negotiations and preparatory process of the ATT.
Participation in this inaugural Conference has ensured that Saint Lucia continues to actively contribute in the implementation of the Treaty.
The Minister in his address to the High Level Segment of the Conference emphasized that the Arms Trade Treaty, serves as a testimony of the political will of states like Saint Lucia to address the unregulated access to guns and ammunition.
The Minister urged States present, that “This treaty will be judged according to its success in preventing arms transfers that risk contributing to or facilitating human suffering. Let our work here this week ensure that when we plead our just cause before the bar of history that our decisions impact positively on those most affected.”
The effective implementation of the ATT will benefit the citizens of Saint Lucia by assisting the relevant authorities to establish and manage controls to regulate trade in conventional arms and ammunition. This will contribute to the reduction in the transfer of illegal small arms, light weapons and homicides with firearms.
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