The strategy must be “realistically ambitious”: defining a long-term vision that is impactful and politically meaningful, while operationally feasible. The strategy should aim to have a meaningful impact on delivering the ATT’s Object and Purpose. At the same time, objectives should address what is deliverable and achievable in its lifespan to not overburden States Parties or the Secretariat. It should establish clear, cross-cutting objectives with reasonably ambitious targets, baselined in current realities, that States Parties can work towards. With this approach, it should be accepted and anticipated that not all objectives will be met, but that similarly meeting all objectives may be a sign of insufficient ambition. In addition, the strategy must be firmly grounded in financial and institutional realities, serving as a practical tool to future resource allocation, capacity building and required Secretariat support. The strategy should not only identify challenges to the Treaty’s implementation but highlight and communicate where the ATT is already having impact, building confidence and reinforcing the Treaty’s relevance, and demonstrating its value to non-States Parties and external stakeholders.
The core of the strategy should be centred around the Object and Purpose of the ATT by driving effective implementation of key articles (including 5, 6, 7, 11 and 13). The strategy should be designed to strengthen States Parties’ ability to translate core commitments of the ATT into practical action, guiding improvements to national control systems, reporting practices, export risk assessments, and measures to prevent diversion. Whilst an ideal strategy would advance all articles of the ATT, resource and capacity constraints mean it cannot focus on everything equally. Therefore, it should prioritise and sequence where States Parties can make the greatest progress and demonstrate the most impact, facilitating focused and structured peer support, guidance, and targeted capacity building including through the Voluntary Trust Fund, aligned with national realities that help States Parties build strong and effective systems.
We don’t need to “reinvent the wheel”. The ATT has an “embarrassment of riches”: an abundance of existing initiatives, workplans, analyses, previous discussions and CSP recommendations that the strategy could build upon. We also should learn from other treaties and instruments with longstanding Action Plans and review processes but recognise that their approaches are not perfectly applicable to the ATT, given their focus is on prohibiting a specific weapon category. The strategy should therefore integrate into current processes, ensuring that it meshes with and strengthens established practices, avoiding creating any parallel structures or reinventing systems unless strictly necessary. Its purpose should be to guide and focus existing mechanisms, helping States Parties work toward a shared, coherent vision.
The strategy should be iterative, not static, and support continuous learning. While the strategy should establish an overall vision and principles, as well as clear baselines, measurable objectives and indicators, it will not be delivered in its first year. Initial years of the strategy may build our understanding of the status of the ATT to inform and reinforce later actions which progress its goals and objectives, for example, through improving data collection. For the strategy to be sustainable, it should also identify a point of review, for example, a standing agenda item at the CSP, against its agreed objectives. This approach will allow States Parties to refine approaches and adapt to changing requirements through access to improved data, leading to a more informed, effective and sustainable strategy.
The strategy should be owned by States Parties and encourage inclusive participation. For the strategy to progress towards its agreed objectives and remain sustainable, it must be owned and led by States Parties, with support from the Secretariat. From the outset, the strategy should clearly assign responsibilities, centring its delivery and review around the Presidents and officeholders, with involvement from civil society, industry and technical experts. Ensuring continuity and ownership will be essential to sustain progress throughout the strategy’s lifespan, creating a process that is accessible, and reflective of diverse national contexts and needs.
