ATT: EU Statement on Treaty Universalization, ATT WG Meetings and CSP8 Informal preparatory Meeting

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Turkey, the Republic of North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia* and Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area themselves with this statement.

At the outset, we want to thank you, Mr. Chair, for carrying out this important intersessional work. We also would like to commend the German Presidency of the 8th Conference of States Parties, for its leadership in prioritizing universalisation of the ATT, in particular during these continuously exceptional times. Your efforts in this regard are even more appreciated.

We want to thank the representatives of civil society, many of whom are with us today, for their relentless dedication to promoting the ATT. It is essential that civil society organizations continue to sustain targeted activities at national and regional levels in support of ATT universalisation, providing targeted advocacy and information sharing. 

We are looking forward to the accession of Gambia as State Party, following the announcement by the Gambian Defence Minister at the last Conference of States Parties in August 2021. We also welcome agreement in the Senate of the Philippines to ratify the ATT, and hope that Philippines become another State Party to the ATT soon. These hopeful developments are proof of the continuous and increasing relevance of the ATT, and bring full universalisation of our commonly agreed norms a step closer. We urge the remaining signatories to follow suit.

Mr. President,

It is our common goal to establish the highest possible common standards for regulating international trade in conventional arms, and to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms and ammunition and prevent their diversion. We reiterate our call on all UN Member States, especially the major arms importers, exporters and transit States, to ratify or accede to the ATT without further delay. The EU invites all partners to redouble their efforts and to increase our collective engagement and outreach efforts to non-State Parties, underlining the benefits of joining the ATT, thus contributing to international and regional peace and stability.

While the EU welcomes the progress made on universalisation progress to date, we continue to believe that more can be done. The EU and its Member States continue to play an active role in ATT universalisation efforts through demarches, various EU Outreach Programmes, and by addressing the issue in the context of EU bilateral dialogues on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control with third countries.

Thank you, Mr. Chair

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*The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.