Most top arms suppliers – the UK, US, France and Germany – backed a resolution in the UN General Assembly in 2009 that will guide negotiations on a treaty. Zimbabwe voted against the resolution, and 19 countries abstained, including major arms producers Russia, China, India and Pakistan. It is hoped the UK faith communities’ strong links in countries that currently abstain will influence negotiations. Faith’s influence was central to building the consensus to secure the Cluster Munitions Convention.
Representatives of the UK’s faith communities at the Birmingham summit, hosted by Religions for Peace UK, and the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ) Gurdwara, will launch a public petition called Faith in the Arms Trade Treaty, which will be presented at a United Nations meeting in two weeks time, preparing for the negotiating conference that will take place in 2012, the weapons equivalent of the COP15 climate change conference. Members of the British public are being encouraged to sign the petition atipetitions.com. READ MORE
