Article 1: Object and Purpose
The object of this Treaty is to:
– Establish the highest possible common international standards for regulating or improving the regulation of the international trade in conventional arms;
– Prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms and prevent their diversion;
for the purpose of:
– Contributing to international and regional peace, security and stability;
– Reducing human suffering;
– Promoting cooperation, transparency and responsible action by States Parties in the international trade in conventional arms, thereby building confidence among States Parties.
INTRODUCTION
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is the result of nearly two decades of intense advocacy and diplomacy. It is also a historical novelty in that it is the first international arms control instrument of its kind, and as such represents an important step forward in regulating and restraining the international trade in conventional arms and related items as defined in Articles 2, 3, and 4 of the Treaty.
The ATT, through the creation of international standards to regulate the international conventional arms trade, in part seeks to address one of the structural conditions that lead to and escalate armed violence and conflicts: the supply of arms. As the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General has noted:
[T]he importance of addressing root causes has become critical in a world confronted with new and emerging threats […] A broader understanding of security has led to the strengthening of the collective commitment of the United Nations to protect civilians and those most vulnerable to violence on the basis of the rule of law (UNGA, 2008, para. 6).
In this regard, the ATT represents a change in how the international community defines and addresses common security challenges. In adopting the ATT, States are seeking to improve oversight over international arms transfers by addressing the trade more from the human security perspective, by looking at a range of possible negative impacts from the use of conventional arms and seeking to prevent them. The object and purpose, representative of the essential goals of the ATT, captures this shift.