UNRCPD and Government of Malaysia organise Asia Regional Meeting to Facilitate Dialogue on the Arms Trade Treaty

26-27 February 2013 — In preparation for the upcoming Final United Nation Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty to be held 18-28 March 2013, over 55 participants from 20 countries throughout Asia and the Pacific have gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to participate in the Asia Regional Meeting to Facilitate Dialogue on the Arms Trade Treaty from 26-27 February 2013.

Organised by the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific and hosted by the Government of Malaysia, the Meeting opened with a vibrant Welcome Reception, after which senior officials assembled to share views on issues related to the ATT. Discussions on the first day of the meeting centred on the security and humanitarian impacts of an ATT for the region, an overview on the ATT and negotiations to date, and developments since the first United Nations Conference on the ATT in July 2012.

The breakout groups among participants addressing the implementation, scope and criteria of the ATT were particularly dynamic and evidenced an abundance of will and commitment to see through a successful conclusion to the Final Conference on the ATT beginning in less than three weeks. For further information and more photos from the Asia Regional Meeting to Facilitate Dialogue on the Arms Trade Treaty, please visit the UNRCPD website.