NextGen Day

The Senate passed a resolution concurring in the Philippines’ ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by a vote of 16-0-6, indicating that the Philippines is committed to global efforts to combat illicit arms trade.

The ATT, according to Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, “establishes common international standards for regulating international trade in conventional arms, effectively addressing the illegal trade in conventional arms and preventing their diversion into the wrong hands.”

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved the agreement on April 2, 2013, and it already has over 100 signatories. The Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to sign the treaty in 2013, according to Pimentel.

In his sponsorship speech on Senate Resolution No. 960 on Wednesday, Pimentel said, “Supporting the ATT is consistent with the Philippines’ stance of promoting and leading global efforts on peace and disarmament.”

Treaties and foreign agreements must be approved by two-thirds of all Senate members to be legal and effective, according to the 1987 Constitution.

Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Grace Poe, and Francis “Tol” Tolentino abstained on the resolution, as did Senate President Pro Tempore Recto, Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Grace Poe, and Francis “Tol” Tolentino.

State parties are required by the ATT to take steps to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.

States participating in export, transit, shipment, and import must work together and share information to reduce the danger of diversion, as well as take reasonable steps to enforce national laws and regulations implementing the ATT’s provisions, according to Pimentel.

For the trade in conventional armaments, countries must also implement export and import control procedures. The treaty forbids the transfer of arms, ammunition, parts, and components that would violate the UN Charter, state party obligations under relevant international agreements, or if the items would be used in the commission of crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, attacks against civilians, or war crimes.

All conventional weapons, including battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, warships, missiles and missile launchers, as well as small arms and light weapons, ammunition, parts, and components, are covered by the ATT.

“The ATT will not have a negative influence on our local arms industries in terms of exports or imports,” Pimentel promised, citing a report from the Center for Arms Violence Reduction that found the ATT “would strengthen trade standards and improve market value.”

“Being a state party to the ATT will also demonstrate our commitment to upholding international humanitarian and human rights legislation, and will assist to avoid accusations of complicity in atrocities or abuses if armaments are misused after a transfer or export by one of our manufacturers,” he added.

“The illicit arms trade and unregulated arms transfers have prolonged armed conflicts, weakened peace and stability, facilitated atrocities, and put people at great risk of death and injury from weapons-related violence,” Pimentel said.

“The Arms Trade Treaty can assist address our country’s long-standing problem of firearms falling into the hands of criminal groups,” he stated.

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