There is no doubt that the ATT will face challenging times going into the next decade given the increasingly unpredictable geopolitical environment and the range of potential security challenges that may arise. In this context, the primary objectives of the ATT, namely to establish the highest possible common international standards for regulating the international trade in conventional arms, and to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms and prevent their diversion, remain as a relevant as ever. For this reason, it will be important to maintain the momentum towards more effective Treaty implementation, and to seize the opportunities that having a new Head of the ATT Secretariat can bring.
In the short term, there are some easy fixes to support ATT implementation and universalisation, such as streamlining the ATT website and better showcasing past successes, including VTF projects. In the longer term, ATT States Parties will need to find a constructive way to address some of the more politically sensitive aspects of ATT implementation in order to convince prospective new States Parties of the Treaty’s wider relevance.
It is clear that ensuring more effective Treaty implementation is a joint effort requiring political will and involving close collaborations between the various agencies of each of the ATT States Parties and Signatories, ATT Secretariat and CSOs. The ATT’s greatest potential lies in its stakeholders supporting, rather than criticising, each other. With this in mind, thematic discussions on the technical aspects of Treaty implementation, such as accounting for transfers of parts and components used to produce arms, or enhancing transparency in relation to open-ended contracts, could be useful new areas for the ATT Working Groups to consider.
Successful ATT implementation can have far-reaching impacts, that can extend beyond the scope of the Treaty itself. For example, implementing concrete measures to prevent the misuse of convention arms to commit or facilitate serious violations of IHRL can support the work of the Human Rights Council, while more effectively regulating the arms trade can strengthen the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. This meeting has demonstrated how holding frank, constructive exchanges on the ATT outside of Geneva can create space for creativity and blue-sky thinking. There is clearly value in expanding this practice to all regions of the world, as well as to other policy communities, in order to learn more about shared successes and challenges that could be relevant to the ATT in a variety of different contexts.
Elizabeth Kirkham (Saferworld) and Callum Watson (Small Arms Survey)
Wilton Park | August 2025
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Notes
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