A few days before the second round of the presidential election, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Oxfam France, and Amnesty International France regret that the regulation of conventional arms trade has not been sufficiently addressed during the campaign debates.
The three partner organizations of the “Control Arms” campaign have urged the two candidates to state their positions on the upcoming International Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and on the measures they propose to adopt to strengthen the French arms trade control system. François Hollande has responded to this call, whereas Nicolas Sarkozy has not followed up [1].
Furthermore, during the campaign, François Hollande publicly expressed his desire for a “controlled” defense industry and a “renewed effort in transparency,” with the addition of “more efficient verification mechanisms on equipment, intermediaries, and final recipients.” He also expressed his wish to strengthen parliamentary control over arms sales, hoping that “the government will be accountable to Parliament every year for its choices.” Nicolas Sarkozy has not, as of yet, expressed his stance on these issues.
The NGOs remind us that insufficiently controlled arms trade at both national and international levels has disastrous consequences for civilian populations. Thousands of people are killed, injured, or forced to flee their homes due to armed violence. Similarly, socio-economic development and efforts to reduce poverty are undermined by irresponsible arms transfers.
For Aymeric Elluin from Amnesty International France, “the Arab Spring revolutions have brutally demonstrated the necessity to overhaul the arms control system in France. Syria, currently repressing its own civilians, was able to use munitions whose transfers were authorized by France between 2005 and 2009.”
Two months before the United Nations conference during which the International Arms Trade Treaty will be negotiated, the NGOs express their deep concern about this topic being sidelined in the French political debate. “This treaty will have major strategic, economic, and industrial implications for France! If adopted, it could constitute the main advancement in international law for the protection of populations since the establishment of the International Criminal Court,” continued Nicolas Vercken of Oxfam France.
“It is surprising to see a presidential candidate refuse to express their position on an issue that pertains to both defense policies and foreign affairs. We hope the candidates will clarify their positions: Nicolas Sarkozy must tell the French whether he is willing to support the adoption of the most ambitious treaty possible. François Hollande, for his part, must specify how he would ensure the universality he mentions in his statements,” emphasizes Zobel Behalal of CCFD-Terre Solidaire.
