In association with Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
At the Arms Trade Treaty’s 11th Conference of States Parties in August 2025, States Parties agreed, for the first time, a mandate to elaborate a 5-year strategic plan for the ATT, to:
- Provide greater focus and prioritisation of the ATT’s structures and activities, considering a cross-cutting Treaty perspective and a longer-term direction; and
- Enable States Parties to better measure progress on the implementation and impact of the ATT, against the objectives and priorities of the strategy.
The mandate sets out that the strategy should be agreed no later than by CSP13 in August 2027.
This conference served as an opportunity for States Parties, international and regional organisations, civil society and industry to consider the development of a strategic plan; reflect on the progress and challenges in ATT implementation and universalisation; test emerging thinking on strategy elements; and develop a shared understanding of priorities and goals to ensure that the Treaty continues to see success through its second decade and beyond.
Discussion focused on a range of aspects of an ATT strategy: its form; the thematic areas it might assess, including implementation, transparency and reporting, and universalisation; what structures and resources are needed to implement it; and what review or follow-up processes may be necessary.
As one of the first substantive opportunities for stakeholders to discuss a strategy, it demonstrated the challenges in focusing discussions strategically, with significant discussion focusing more on Treaty challenges, practical actions and objectives. This report therefore summarises key reflections and takeaways drawn from those discussions, including indicative actions and possible recommendations for the ATT community to consider. It does not seek to reflect every view expressed during the Conference, nor is it a consensus view of participants.