The Arms Trade Treaty

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 96z Towards an Arms Trade Treaty : establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms, published in 2010.

What else is in this group?

16 documents · 2010–2025

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 2025).

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/46	The Arms Trade Treaty	1,940	–
2024	A/RES/79/52	The Arms Trade Treaty	1,901	–
2023	A/RES/78/48	The Arms Trade Treaty	1,733	–
2022	A/RES/77/62	The Arms Trade Treaty	1,568	–
2021	A/RES/76/50	The Arms Trade Treaty	1,535	–

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

2 reports · 2011

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2011	A/66/166/Add.1	The Arms Trade Treaty report of the Secretary-General : addendum		A/RES/64/48
2011	A/66/166	The Arms Trade Treaty report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/64/48

What subjects does this mandate have?

13 subjects

Arms Transfers Conferences Conventional Weapons Exports Illicit Arms Trafficking Imports International Instruments International Obligations Organized Crime Specialized Agencies Standards Terrorism Working Groups

What’s in this document?

13 operative paragraphs

Calls upon all States to implement, on a national basis, the relevant recommendations contained in section VII of the report of the Group of Governmental Experts,Error: Reference source not found recommends that all States carefully consider how to achieve such implementation in order to ensure that their national import and export control systems are of the highest possible standard, and urges those States in a position to do so to render assistance in this regard upon request;

Endorses the report of the Open-ended Working Group⁴ established by the General Assembly in its resolution 63/240 to further consider those elements in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts where consensus could be developed for their inclusion in an eventual legally binding treaty on the import, export and transfer of conventional arms, which provides a balance giving benefit to all, with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other existing international obligations at the centre of such considerations;

⁴A/AC.277/2009/1.

Stresses the need, as was underlined by consensus in the Open-ended Working Group, to address, inter alia, the problems relating to the unregulated trade in conventional weapons and their diversion to the illicit market, considering that such risks can fuel instability, transnational organized crime and terrorism, and that international action should be taken to address the problem;

Decides, therefore, to convene a United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty to meet for four consecutive weeks in 2012 to elaborate a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms;

Also decides that the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty will be undertaken in an open and transparent manner, on the basis of consensus, to achieve a strong and robust treaty;

Further decides to consider the remaining sessions of the Open-ended Working Group in 2010 and 2011 as a preparatory committee for the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty;

Requests the Preparatory Committee, at its four sessions in 2010 and 2011, to make recommendations to the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty on the elements that would be needed to attain an effective and balanced legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms, bearing in mind the views and recommendations expressed in the replies of Member StatesError: Reference source not found and those contained in the report of the Group of Governmental ExpertsError: Reference source not found and the report of the Open-ended Working Group,Error: Reference source not found and to present a report containing those elements to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session;

Decides to establish a fifth session of the Preparatory Committee in 2012 of up to three days’ duration to decide on all relevant procedural matters, including the composition of the Bureau, the draft agenda and the submission of documents, for the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty;

Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on proposed treaty elements and other relevant issues relating to the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session;

Decides that intergovernmental organizations and specialized agencies, having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the work of the General Assembly, may participate as observers in the sessions of the Preparatory Committee, and requests the Committee to take decisions on the modalities of attendance of non-governmental organizations at its sessions;

Stresses the need to ensure the widest possible and effective participation in the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in 2012;

Requests the Secretary-General to render the Preparatory Committee and the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty all necessary assistance, including the provision of essential background information and relevant documents;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What else is in this group?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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