It is good news that Nepal is doing its homework to sign the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Though the country is still struggling to re-establish political stability and cope with post-conflict violence, signing such a treaty is an action of peacebuilding and additional proof that Nepalis are peace lovers.

It is expected that the treaty, once implemented, will reduce the flow of weapons into any country, which will ultimately help make the world a safer place. Remember that the decade-long Maoist insurgency in Nepal resulted in more than 13,000 deaths, mainly due to the use of small arms. The proliferation of small arms in the Tarai region has caused people to flee their homes while others have to live under the constant threat of weapons.

These arms continue to find their way into irresponsible hands. The treaty then is expected to keep them out of the hands of criminals and those fuelling conflict and poverty. Interestingly, almost all the major commodities traded internationally—from bananas to oil—are regulated with tough and binding international agreements. But traders are not held accountable when it comes to arms.

South Asia is deemed a dangerous global hotspot. One of the major reasons for this is the large-scale proliferation and easy availability of small arms and light weapons. So many militant groups are active in India in one form or the other. The transfer of small arms takes place mostly through clandestine routes and the grey market.

Regulating cross-border trade

The treaty, which has been signed by 122 countries so far, will enter into force on December 24. There is no reason why Nepal should not sign the treaty before it becomes operational. It also does not make sense to wait for China and/or India to sign it before we do. India and China are the largest importers of arms in the world and they object to the treaty on several counts. However, the largest arms exporting country in the world, the US, is among those nations that have committed themselves to a global regulation of the arms trade. Amidst armed conflict, even the Ukraine signed the treaty.

The ATT is a multilateral framework that intends to regulate the global conventional cross-border arms trade, an estimated annual $70 billion business. Oxfam International estimates that nearly one million of the seven-eight million firearms produced every year are lost or stolen. The poorly regulated global trade in conventional arms and ammunition is believed to be fuelling conflict, poverty, and human rights abuses.

Anywhere in the world, the proliferation of small arms results in deaths and sexual violence. It is estimated that 1,500 people die in armed conflicts every day—one person every minute. Small arms cause violence and instability and increase crime levels, which in return discourages investment and diverts resources away from schools and healthcare systems. Inadequate controls on arms transfers have led to the widespread availability and misuse of weapons.

Conflict prevention

Once the treaty enters into force, transfer of weapons will be stopped, if there is evidence that the weapons are likely to be used for violations of international human rights or humanitarian law. That also means that countries like Nepal will have to clean up their reputation for human rights violations or will be prevented from importing arms and ammunition.

The Treaty is believed not only to help prevent conflicts from escalating by stemming the flow of weapons and ammunition to opposing forces, but it also opposes the conditions that create conflicts in the first place. By forcing states to assess whether the weapons they sell may be used to abuse human rights either inside or outside conflict zones, and if they may, by not to authorising the transfers, the treaty could weaken those regimes that rule by terror and force.

We keep hearing the argument that Nepal has sufficient internal control mechanisms to stop the proliferation of small arms. Yes, we do have such mechanisms, but they are not sufficient. However, it is important to understand that this treaty does not interfere with the domestic arms trade and the way a country regulates civilian possession. And having a comprehensive policy on small arms in place is a bonus that will play an important role in shaping the country’s future security situation for the better.

Rather than believing in conspiracies, we need to evaluate what resources our country has and determine what resources are needed to implement this treaty. The implementation of the framework could actually constitute a problem for Nepal, as it requires infrastructure and resources to monitor illegal border crossings.  

Bogati is Chief Executive of the Nepal Peacebuilding Initiative