Support Un Arms Treaty, Say Nobel Laureates

More than a dozen Nobel peace prize laureates have joined forces to call on governments around the world to support a landmark international treaty to stop irresponsible arms exports.

The 15 laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mohamed ElBaradei, have written to the Guardian today on the eve of a vote at the UN in New York.

The vote, scheduled for tomorrow or Thursday, will be on a British-championed resolution setting out a timetable for the creation of a legally binding treaty on the sale of weapons. The resolution says: "The absence of common international standards on the import, export and transfer of conventional arms is a contributory factor to conflict, displacement of people, crime and terrorism."

If adopted, a vote on a finished treaty would probably take place in 2008.

The laureates write: "We believe it imperative for humanity that the number of deaths caused by firearms be reduced.

"In order to halt the abuses arising from the trading and irresponsible use of arms, we are adamant that this activity needs to be subject to strict supervision and controls."

Three of the world's top six arms exporters - the UK, France and Germany - support the resolution. The US, Russia and China oppose it.

The British government believes it has now secured the support of 107 of the 192 countries in the general assembly. Only 97 votes are needed for the resolution to be adopted.

The proposed resolution is to be put to a vote by John Duncan, the British ambassador to the arms talks in New York.

Amnesty International is also a co-signatory to the letter, having won the peace prize as an organisation in 1977.

Amnesty International's secretary general, Irene Khan, said yesterday: "It is crunch time at the UN. Governments should take a historic step to stop irresponsible and immoral arms transfers by voting to develop a treaty that will prevent the death, rape and displacement of thousands of people."