Parliament has ratified the United Nations (UN) Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). The ATT is a multilateral and legally binding agreement which is expected to create common standards for exports, imports, transit, trans-shipment of and brokering of arms.
Further, it is to regulate the international trade in conventional arms, from small weapons to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships.
The treaty is also expected to foster peace and security, curb terrorism by thwarting uncontrolled arms flow to conflict regions and potential conflict zones.
The ATT is also aimed at preventing human rights abusers and violators of international humanitarian law from being supplied with arms and keeping warlords, pirates and gangs from acquiring weapons for their nefarious activities.
How it came into being
The ATT was negotiated successfully at the UN by member states and was adopted by the General Assembly of the world body.
To date,130 countries have signed it and 69 countries have ratified it.
Ghana Small Arms Commission
Reacting to the ratification of the ATT, the Ghana Small Arms Commission (GSAC), expressed gratitude to Parliament for the move.
A statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the GSAC, Mr Jones B Applerh, also expressed appreciation to the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms for collaborating and the Global Parliamentary Forum for ensuring that a number of West African states ratified the treaty.
"In the next coming days, every effort will be made to ensure that the instrument of ratification is deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations to complete Ghana's ratification process to enable implementation of the treaty to begin in earnest," it added.
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