CSP2 Schedule of Side Events

Breakfast meeting with Ambassador Korhonen, candidate for the 3rd CSP President (by invitation only).

Assessing national compliance with the ATT: Liberia, a case study:

This side event will share Liberia’s experience in conducting a comprehensive national-level assessment of its current level of compliance with all of the provisions of the ATT, and consider next steps for Liberia in terms of achieving full ATT compliance. The event will also elaborate on the development of the national assessment methodology used by Liberia in the context of how this might be applicable for use by other states.

Launch of The Arms Trade Treaty: A Practical Guide to Implementation:

During the side event, the Small Arms Survey and the ATT Network partners will launch The Arms Trade Treaty: A Practical Guide to Implementation, which forms part of the Small Arms Survey’s Handbook series. The Guide explores and explains the core provisions of the treaty and offers practical suggestions for their implementation. The speakers will present key findings of the publication launched, copies of which will be available at the side‐event.

Yemen: How arms transfer are furthering human suffering:

This side event will investigate the ongoing transfer of military equipment to members of the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen, with panellists presenting research on the extent to which ATT States Parties and Signatories are in violation of their legal obligations by supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia and the coalition.

Shadow World: A documentary film screening:

To host a special screening of the new documentary film, Shadow World, which explores the shadowy world of the global arms trade.

Launch of The Arms Trade Treaty: A Commentary:

This side event will launch the publication "The Arms Trade Treaty: A Commentary", which forms part of the Oxford Commentaries on International Law. The Commentary, written by distinguished academics and experienced practitioners direclty involved in the negotiation of the Arms Trade Treaty, comprehensively discusses and interprets each provision of the Arms Trade Treaty, taking into account various contemporary international legal regimes, including human rights, trade, disarmament, humanitarian law, and use of force.
The speakers will present key findings on the meaning of some contentious provisions and explain how the commentary provides guidance to government officials, commentators and scholars.

Implementation of Article 7 of the Arms Trade Treaty:

This side event, organised by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, will look at implementation of Article 7 of the ATT, especially as it relates to gender-based violence. We will present a recent report by WILPF's disarmament programme, Reaching Critical Will that provides tools and guidelines for effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons provisions related to gender-based violence, and we will present a case study reviewing some of Spain's recent arms sales. A similar study for Sweden will also be circulated. We hope that this event will provide States with the opportunity to pose questions in connection to their implementation of article 7(4).

ATT Reporting and Transparency: Impressions and Lessons Learned:

The event will provide analysis of the initial implementation reports and lessons learned for future ATT implementation and reporting.

Roundtable side-event on enhancing cooperation and preventing diversion: strengthening end user control systems:

The diversion of authorized conventional arms transfers, including small arms, poses a persistent problem for security at all levels, and lies at the heart of the illicit proliferation of arms. States in multilateral forums have repeatedly called for measures to strengthen end use/r control systems to improve their role in preventing diversion. Despite these repeated calls, a global, comprehensive and inclusive dialogue on this issue has yet to be initiated among States. In response to this, UNIDIR in 2016 is implementing a project to promote sub/regional dialogue to enhance shared understanding and cooperation to strengthen end use/r control systems (Phase II). This event provides an opportunity for States and other relevant stakeholders to initiate a dialogue within the ATT framework to identify potential areas, options and avenues for enhancing cooperation, shared understanding, and possible alignment of measures to strengthen end use/r control systems in order to mitigate the risk of conventional arms diversion.

The African perspective: challenges and opportunities to implementing the ATT:

During this side event, panellists will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities to implementing the ATT on the African continent. Panellists will offer a range of perspectives - from an importing state, and a state under embargo – and will share their experiences and impressions of what the ATT means for Africa. In addition, two reports focusing on diversion prevention and universalization of the ATT in Africa will be presented. Copies of the reports will be available at the side-event.

Arms transfer and SALW controls in Latin America and the Caribbean: Recent developments and lessons learned:

This side event will explore the steps being taken by states, international and regional organizations, and NGOs to improve arms transfer and SALW controls in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event will explore recent progress in a range of areas relevant to national implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and the UN Programme of Action on SALW and discuss potential lessons-learned, both for the region and beyond. The event will also include a presentation of the online database for ATT-related cooperation and assistance activities developed by SIPRI and plans to extend its coverage to include Latin America and the Caribbean in collaboration with UNLIREC.