Introduction
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is the first global treaty to establish legally binding standards regulating the international trade in conventional arms. Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in April 2013, the Treaty entered into force on 24 December 2014, ninety days after the deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification. As of 17 July 2015, the ATT has 69 States Parties and an additional 61 signatories.
The Treaty mandates specific measures that, if implemented effectively, will increase global transparency and promote greater accountability for global arms transfers. In many cases, however, the Treaty text does not provide prescriptive language. Rather, the Treaty requires States to adopt regulations and laws as necessary to enable implementation. As a first step, States must assess their current arms transfer control systems and identify gaps and capabilities in order to identify the ways in which they will implement Treaty obligations.
The ATT-Baseline Assessment Project (ATT-BAP) helps States identify whether their existing arms transfer control systems fulfill ATT requirements. The project provides clear guidance on the Treaty’s provisions and offers tools to measure and monitor implementation.
This report is intended to inform deliberations on effective next steps and help States best prepare for national implementation of the ATT. The report highlights examples of good practices for ATT implementation as outlined in the ATT-BAP Survey and provides examples of definitions and other measures for States to utilize as they develop their own effective transfer control systems to implement the Treaty and harmonize regional practice. In addition, this report and other information contained within the ATT-BAP Survey can be used to develop user guides and information exchanges to support ATT implementation assistance.
