(1)

On 12 December 2003, the European Council adopted a European Security Strategy that called for an international order based on effective multilateralism. The European Security Strategy acknowledges the United Nations (UN) Charter as the fundamental framework for international relations. Strengthening the UN, equipping it to fulfil its responsibilities and to act effectively, is a priority of the Union.

(2)

On 6 December 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 61/89 entitled ‘Towards an Arms Trade Treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms’, through which it sought the views of UN Member States about a potential Treaty, and established a Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) to continue considering it, thus initiating the UN process for an Arms Trade Treaty (the ‘ATT process’).

(3)

On 2 December 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 64/48 entitled ‘The Arms Trade Treaty’, by which it decided to convene in 2012 a UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in order to elaborate a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for transfers of conventional arms.

(4)

In its conclusions of 11 December 2006, 10 December 2007, 12 July 2010, and 25 June 2012, the Council welcomed the different stages of the ATT process and expressed its strongest commitment to the success of the negotiation of a new legally binding international instrument that should establish the highest possible common international standards to regulate legal trade in conventional weapons, and that should be relevant to all UN Member States and could therefore be universal.

(5)

In order to promote the inclusiveness and relevance of the ATT process, the Council adopted on 19 January 2009 Decision 2009/42/CFSP on support for EU activities in order to promote among third countries the process leading towards an Arms Trade Treaty, in the framework of the European Security Strategy (1), and on 14 June 2010 Decision 2010/336/CFSP on EU activities in support of the Arms Trade Treaty, in the framework of the European Security Strategy (2), consisting of a series of regional seminars of worldwide coverage. The aim of those outreach events was to support the preparatory process leading up to the 2012 UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, by broadening discussions and making concrete recommendations; and to support UN Member States in developing and improving expertise to implement effective arms transfer controls, once the Treaty would enter into force.

(6)

The UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty was convened at the UN Headquarters in New York from 2 to 27 July 2012, to elaborate a legally binding instrument on the highest possible common international standards for the transfer of conventional arms. The Conference was not able to agree on a concluding document within the timeframe set for it. However, considerable progress was achieved during the negotiations, as reflected in the draft Treaty text submitted by the President of the Conference on 26 July 2012.

(7)

On 7 November 2012, the UN General Assembly First Committee adopted a draft resolution entitled ‘The Arms Trade Treaty’, that decided to convene in New York from 18 to 28 March 2013 the Final UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty, to be governed by the rules of procedure adopted for the July 2012 Conference, in order to finalise the elaboration of the Arms Trade Treaty on the basis of the draft Treaty text submitted by the President of the previous UN Conference on 26 July 2012.

(8)

Considering the outcome of the July 2012 UN Conference, the activities established by Decision 2009/42/CFSP and Decision 2010/336/CFSP, and the need to contribute to the successful conclusion of the negotiations, the Union should continue to support the ATT process to ensure that it leads to the adoption of an effective and implementable legally binding Treaty without delay. The continued Union support to the ATT process should contribute to the successful completion of negotiations at the UN Conference on 18 to 28 March 2013, and promote implementation efforts in third countries that would have to comply with a future Arms Trade Treaty,