Advancing the ATT: The role of interagency cooperation and the next decade of the ATT

This Wilton Park Conference aimed to create a safe space to advance discussions on the 10^th Conference of States Parties to the ATT (CSP10) Presidency’s theme of interagency cooperation, the recommendations adopted at the Conference, and the recommendations of Stimson Center’s ‘The ATT at 10’ Report. The two day in-person conference gave States, civil society and industry an opportunity to reflect and consider practical next steps both to support and deliver the implementation of the interagency theme, and the future direction of the ATT itself.

During the conference, the participants discussed the major successes and challenges of the ATT over its first decade and the progress made in achieving its wider objectives. They also looked at what the next decade of the Treaty would look like, and what steps the ATT community would need to take to fulfil its object and purpose. In order to do this, they first reflected on the key insights and recommendations shared at CSP10 with a focus on enhancing universalisation and implementation of the Treaty.

The participants then took a deep dive on the CSP10 theme of interagency cooperation, considering what the challenges are for effective interagency cooperation in the ATT context, how they affect practical Treaty implementation and universalisation, and what next steps are required to overcome these challenges and implement the CSP10s outcomes. The discussions culminated by looking towards CSP11 and the coming years as participants considered what key actions would be required to consolidate ATT objectives moving forward, what unresolved issues would need to be addressed, and how the legacy of CSP10 and its focus on the role of interagency cooperation could be maintained.

Executive summary

The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) entered into force in 2014. In its first ten years, discussions have primarily focused on developing the Treaty structures and institutions. While the Treaty can point to some successes such as greater transparency and accountability in the trade of conventional arms and the strengthening of national-level regulations and capacities for arms transfer control, its impact in terms of reducing human suffering and saving lives is harder to measure. What is clear, however, is that there are still challenges in implementation as well as to the further universalisation of the Treaty.

Implementation challenges include the lack of a mechanisms or forum to review how effectively states have implemented the Treaty, noting that there is some divergence in how States Parties understand and apply some of the provisions. In addition, many discussions in the first decade focused on diversion. Recommendations for fostering greater engagement in the ATT include:

• Further discussions on implementing measures such as national control lists, improved legislation, import regulations and export assessments relating to conventional arms;
• Exploring how to apply the ATT across complex supply chains and in respect of emerging technologies; and
• Encouraging sustained engagement from States Parties through a 5-10 year ATT strategy.

Universalisation challenges include the comprehensive nature of the ATT’s provisions adding to an already wide-ranging international disarmament and arms control agenda. In addition, conversations may be perceived as superficial, given that diplomats tend to outnumber technical experts in discussions. Some States Parties may be hesitant to share politically sensitive challenges concerning arms transfer regulation openly with an international audience. Recommendations for the future include:

• Holding five-yearly meetings with technical experts;
• Organising more meetings outside of Geneva to bring the ATT closer to other regions;
• Organising ad hoc meetings for States Parties wishing to discuss shared challenges.

The decision of the Romanian Presidency of CSP10 to establish interagency cooperation as its theme could have far-reaching consequences in shaping the future landscape of international arms transfer control and ATT implementation. The CSP10 Presidency working paper on Interagency Cooperation focuses on relevant state systems and on establishing ‘the highest possible common international standards for regulating or improving the regulation of the international trade in conventional arms’.

Experience has shown that, in terms of interagency cooperation ‘no one size fits all’ and there is no single structure to adopt an interagency strategy as each country has its own governance structures, legal frameworks, and institutional capacities. While there can be challenges to interagency cooperation, such as a lack of trust and history of cooperation among key government institutions working on arms transfer control, there are undoubtedly significant benefits including holistic arms transfer decision-making and risk mitigation, as well as improved transparency and reporting. The CSP10 discussions on interagency cooperation yielded several key recommendations for future action:

• States should engage in voluntary information sharing in relation to national experiences and best practices for interagency cooperation;
• ATT Working Groups should consider integrating the topic of interagency cooperation into their discussions and guidance documents;
• Existing voluntary guidance on ATT implementation could be expanded to include recommendations on interagency cooperation; and
• States are encouraged to use the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund to support projects aimed at improving interagency coordination.

The Head of the ATT Secretariat has several key priorities for CSP11 including:

• Strengthening transparency and accountability with a focus on compliance and fostering information exchange;
• Seeking to understand of why reporting levels are still low and launch a reporting champions initiative; and
• Fostering more inclusive and diverse engagement and a better integration of gender perspectives.

Looking to the next decade, the ATT Secretariat will consider:

• Reflecting on how the Treaty operates and reimagining aspects such as the structure of Working Groups, the management committee, the Voluntary Trust Fund (VTF) and the Diversion Information Exchange Forum (DIEF);
• Revisiting past CSP themes and considering how to ensure that each theme builds on the previous ones;
• Undertaking regional outreach to build relationships with key counterparts, especially in the Global South;
• How to bring discussions on effective Treaty implementation in specific cases from side events to the Working Groups; and
• How to advance universalisation, including through a better of understanding of what has worked in respect of the ratification processes in different contexts.

The ATT’s objectives of regulating the conventional arms trade and preventing diversion are highly relevant in the current geopolitical environment. While there are some quick fixes such as streamlining the ATT website, long-term sustained collaborations between ATT States Parties, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Secretariat will be needed for the ATT to maintain momentum in furthering effective implementation and universalisation, as well as to preserve its culture of constructive collaboration. In this light, this meeting has demonstrated how holding frank, constructive exchanges on the ATT outside of Geneva can create space for creativity and blue-sky thinking.