Towards an arms trade treaty: establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms
(Japan's View: Summary)

April 2007

• Japan intends to play a positive role in considering contents of an arms trade treaty (ATT).
• Japan has voluntarily applied to itself strict standards for importing, exporting and transferring conventional weapons. An arms trade treaty (ATT) is congruent with Japan's standpoint.
• At the Tokyo Workshop on Small Arms and Light Weapons, hosted by the Government of Japan in March, 2007, participants re-confirmed that, without air-tight controls achieved through international cooperation of States, weapons finally and surely will continue to reach illicit end-users, and those weapons then take precious lives of many innocent people.

1. Ensuring Effectiveness

(1) An arms trade treaty (ATT) needs to be effective. For that, it is necessary to fully understand the present status of conventional arms transfers in establishing an ATT. To ensure the effectiveness of an arms trade treaty (ATT), it should be concluded by many States, including both exporting States and importing States. Moreover, it should clearly stipulate responsibilities of importing States, such as those following procedures for importing arms, those in controlling arms in their territories, and those in re-exporting them, as well as primary responsibilities of exporting States.

(2) The treaty is to stipulate setting up a committee comprising of concluding States. It is beneficial to regularly review the management, lists and/or definitions of weapons under the scope of the treaty, if or when necessary.

2. Feasibility

Those States participating in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, show interest in the transparency and controls of arms trade, and voluntarily join the Register. That may show the promising feasibility that an effective arms trade treaty (ATT) has a good chance. Know-how of Experts sustaining the Register, which has led it to unprecedented success, is useful as a reference as an arms trade treaty is under consideration.

3. Scope

(1) Overall conventional weapons, including weapons categorized in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms and small arms and light weapons, should be included in the scope of an arms trade treaty (ATT). Furthermore, whether to include the following, related to conventional weapons, should also be considered, 1. Parts and components exclusively designed for weapons, 2. Facilities exclusively for arms production, and 3. Exclusive technologies related to arms production, etc. Whether or not dual-use items are to be included into the scope of the treaty should be carefully considered.

(2) For the scope of an arms trade treaty (ATT), clear definitions or detailed lists of weapons must be produced.

4. Draft Parameters

(1) Draft principles for an arms trade treaty (ATT) produced by NGOs have been made through discussions for the last several years, and they make a good starting point for consideration on parameters of the treaty. Those draft principles are Principle 1: Responsibilities of states, Principle 2: Express limitations, Principle 3: Limitations based on use or likely use, Principle 4: Factors to be taken into account, Principle 5: Transparency, and Principle 6: Comprehensive Controls.

(2) In considering these standards, due consideration should be paid to needs based on the inherent right of all States to self-defense. It might be good to refer to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (the Washington Treaty), for the consideration of verification, and compilation of item lists and transfer controls.

5. Conclusions

(1) Japan intends to participate and actively contribute to a group of governmental experts to be established by resolution A/RES/61/89.

(2) Both a group of governmental experts and continuous considerations by experts are needed for an arms trade treaty (ATT).

(3) An effective arms trade treaty, to which as many States as possible join, should be aimed for.