Parliamentary Campaign to Promote Ratification & Implementation of the ATT in Lusophone States and the MENA region

Implementing Agency: Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA)

Project timeframe: 01/01/2016 – 31/12/2016

Target regions: Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region: Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Mauritania and Morocco
Lusophone states: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe,Timor Leste

Goal: To reduce armed violence and its many negative direct and indirect consequences by increasing awareness and understanding for the importance of the ATT and securing further ratifications and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region and Lusophone States.

Activities:

  • Two regional workshops were conducted with the first occurring in Cabo Verde for Lusophone states which generated significant traction among participants. Following the workshop, many states followed-up on material covered, including the deposit of the ATT instrument of ratification by the Government of Cabo Verde in September 2016.

 

  • The second workshop was held in Amman, Jordan for the MENA region with the focus cantering mainly on raising awareness of the importance of the ATT among parliamentarians in the region as well as obtaining information regarding the current status on the ATT ratification and implementation processes in the participants respective countries.

 

  • A field mission also occurred to Dili, Timor Leste where PGA organized meetings with Government and Parliament representatives including the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, Minister of Interior, Vice-speaker of parliament and Chair of International Relations Committee. PGA greatly improved awareness of the importance of ATT and obtained commitments from the Ministers of Defence and Interior in moving forward with accession to the ATT by Timor Leste.

 

  • The ‘Program and Plan of Action’ was adopted in both English and Arabic and the overall project implementation benefited all of the targeted regions in obtaining comprehensive understanding of the importance of the ATT and also highlighted the importance of gender dimensions of the ATT. Gender considerations and media coverage were significant components in all activities organized under this project.

 

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