By ANDREW MUKOMA
ZAMBIA has encouraged states in the Southern Africa which are not yet party to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to consider becoming state parties.
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Zambia became a member and ratified to the ATT in 2016 and since then, the country has recorded a number of strides. Speaking during the official opening of the Regional Export Control Conference European Union Arms Trade Treaty Outreach III in Livingstone on Tuesday, Defence Permanent Secretary Norman Chipakupaku said peace was synonymous to economic and social development and that the regions can only prosper if member state put up measures and mechanisms in place to curb illegal trade in arms that threaten the region’s peace. Mr Chipakupaku said the irresponsible and poorly regulated
arms trade cripples the universal attainment of the development goals. He said that the prevalence of weapons and the careless arms trade can lead to conflict and permanent insecurity, forcing people to leave their homes and diverting scarce resources from the needed areas such as health, education, agriculture, energy and peace-building process to defence and military.
“Once we manage to stop diversion of arms to non-state actors like terrorists and rebels, we will be creating an enabling environment for economic development. To those who are already state parties, my appeal is to review your legislation so that you are in conformity with the ATT.
Our region’s peace depends on our collective effort to curb illegal arms trade,” Mr Chipakupaku said. Mr Chipakupaku said Zambia has been working with the European Union Arms Trade Treaty outreach project since 2016 and that with such support, the nation has managed to make positive strides in the implementation of the ATT. And in a message delivered in a virtual address, European Union Ambassador to Zambia Jacek Jankowski called on all United Nations members to sign the Arms Trade Treaty. Mr Jankowski said that the treaty aims to strengthen the coop
eration and support among member states adding that signing the
treaty will contribute to regional and global peace and stability. He said that the EU will continue
to work and support the Zambian government’s quest to contribute to regional peace and stability.
The region export control conference which has attracted participants from SADC member states is being sponsored by the European Union (EU) and the Germany government.
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