MPs' signatures delivered to UN

Labour MP and Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) President, Ross Robertson, was today honoured to present UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, with the Control Arms Global Parliamentary Declaration on the Arms Trade Treaty on behalf of 2,047 MPs in 96 countries.

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is being negotiated by all 193 UN Member States, including New Zealand, at United Nations Headquarters from 2-27 July 2012.

“The main objective of this Treaty is to ensure that conventional weapons are not exported to countries or governments which have a poor or questionable human rights track records,” Ross Robertson said.

"Parliamentarians have a key role to play, not only in advocating for an ATT, but to ensure it is widely ratified and upheld.

“Leadership brings with it an imperative to act by example,” Ross Robertson said.

“New Zealand can be justifiably proud that 85 NZ MPs have signed the Declaration, along with MPs from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Palau.  Samoan MP Su’a William Sio, Vice President of PGA’s New Zealand branch, has also encouraged 12 MPs from Samoa to sign up, which is great news from our Pacific neighbours.

“For over 30 years, PGA, a non-profit, non-partisan, international network of over 1000 legislators in more than 100 elected parliaments around the globe, has actively sought to promote peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, sustainable development and population issues.

“PGA informs, convenes and mobilises parliamentarians to realise these goals.

“PGA has played a decisive role in the success of the Control Arms Global Parliamentary Declaration on the Arms Trade Treaty and this has been realised today,” Ross Robertson said.