Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/649 of 16 April 2021 on Union support for activities of the ATT Secretariat in support of the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 28(1) and 31(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Whereas:

1. The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 2 April 2013 through its Resolution A/RES/67/234 B. The ATT was subsequently opened for signature on 3 June 2013 and entered into force on 24 December 2014. All Member States are parties to the ATT.

2. The ATT aims to establish the highest possible common international standards for regulating or improving the regulation of the international trade in conventional arms and to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms and prevent their diversion. Key challenges in achieving the aims of the ATT are its effective implementation by States Parties to the ATT (‘States Parties’) and its universalisation, bearing in mind that regulating international arms trade is by definition a global endeavour. To contribute to addressing those challenges, the Council adopted Decision 2013/768/CFSP⁽¹⁾ on 16 December 2013 and Decision (CFSP) 2017/915⁽²⁾ on 29 May 2017, thereby enlarging the export control-related assistance portfolio of the Union with activities specific to the ATT.

3. The ATT establishes a Secretariat (the ‘ATT Secretariat’) to assist States Parties in the effective implementation of the ATT. The ATT Secretariat undertakes the following responsibilities: to receive, make available and distribute the reports as mandated by the ATT; to maintain and make available to States Parties the list of national points of contact; to facilitate the matching of offers of and requests for assistance for ATT implementation and promote international cooperation as requested; to facilitate the work of the Conference of States Parties, including making arrangements and providing the necessary services for meetings under the ATT; and to perform other duties as decided by the Conferences of States Parties. The ATT Secretariat also administers the Voluntary Trust Fund established by States Parties under Article 16(3) of the ATT to assist States Parties’ implementation of the ATT. In addition, the Fourth Conference of States Parties entrusted the ATT Secretariat with the administration of the ATT Sponsorship Programme, established to facilitate the participation of State representatives in ATT meetings.

4. In its 2016 Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, the Union commits itself to promoting a rules-based global order. The Union has an interest in promoting agreed rules to provide global public goods and contribute to a peaceful and sustainable world. The Union promotes a rules-based global order with multilateralism as its key principle and the UN at its core. The Union strongly supports the expanding membership, universalisation, full implementation and enforcement of multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control treaties and regimes, including the ATT. In the context of those overarching policy goals, support for the ATT Secretariat fits well within the specific aim of strengthening the multilateral system underpinning a responsible trade in arms.

5. The ATT Secretariat is well placed to liaise with all multilateral, regional, national and civil society organisations executing projects in support of ATT universalisation or implementation. The Union is also a longstanding provider of export control assistance in dual-use goods, supporting the development of legal frameworks and institutional capacities for the establishment and enforcement of effective export controls on dual-use and military goods. The ATT Secretariat aims to ensure that its projects are complementary to the Union’s existing dual-use goods and arms export control assistance programmes, such as those under Decision (CFSP) 2017/915,

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