WILPF’s Disarmament programme, Reaching Critical Will has actively engaged with the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Working Group Meetings, recently held in Geneva, Switzerland. WILPF International has provided various insights on the impact of arms transfers to Israel, violation of international law, and the urgent call to end this vicious war. Find the latest updates here.
A joint submission to the Human Rights Committee has been made by several organisations (Women’s International League (WILPF), Al-Haq, and the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), with the contribution of Saferworld) regarding the United Kingdom’s arms transfers to Israel, especially in the context of the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This is ahead of the review of the United Kingdom by the 140th Session of the UN Human Rights Committee in March 2024, and can hopefully serve as an example of the ways states are accountable under international law. Read the submission here.
Some key takeaways:
1. States that continue to supply weapons to Israel are in violation of Article 6 of the ATT and may be complicit in genocide, as well as other grave violations of international law.
2. Arms transfers to Israel are also unlawful under Article 7 of the ATT, due to these weapons being used to commit violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, gender-based violence, and violence against women and children.
3. All states must immediately stop arms transfers and the licensing of arms and related equipment to Israel. Arms companies must also uphold their responsibilities.