"Okeil": The flow of weapons to conflict countries kills thousands and displaces millions

Naji Moulay: Civil society has a pivotal role in encouraging governments to join the treaty

Marina Sabri: Failure to monitor arms supplies exacerbates levels of insecurity

 

Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association organized a panel discussion entitled "Promoting the Universality of the Arms Trade Treaty in Arab Countries" in Geneva, in cooperation with the Independent Commission for Human Rights Network in North Africa. The panel was on the sidelines of the first preparatory meeting for the 11th conference of the Arms Trade Treaty, which held from 25 to 28 February 2025 at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.

The discussion addressed a number of pivotal topics related to the irresponsible arms trade and its negative effects on regional and human security in the Arab region, including the challenges facing Arab countries in ratifying and joining the Arms Trade Treaty, as well as the role of civil society organizations in promoting the universality of the treaty. The panel discussion witnessed wide participation from permanent missions, experts and specialists in the field of human rights and disarmament.

During the panel discussion, Ayman Okeil, International Human Rights Expert and the Chairman of Maat, pointed out that illegal arms transfers to Arab regions have fueled armed conflicts in a number of Arab countries, including the occupied Palestinian territories, Sudan, Syria and Libya. The ongoing fighting due to the flow of weapons to governments that violate human rights or to armed and terrorist groups has led to the deaths of thousands, the displacement of millions, and the exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis, the list is still open.

Okeil recommended pressing for the implementation of strict laws to limit the illegal arms trade in the Arab region, in addition to intensifying awareness efforts among citizens and decision-makers about the negative effects resulting from the spread of conventional weapons in the region.

Naji Moulay Hassan, the Executive Director of CIDH, addressed the role of civil society organizations in overcoming the challenges facing the universality of the Arms Trade Treaty in Arab countries. Noting that they have the ability to raise awareness among the public about the importance of the Arms Trade Treaty, its positive effects in reducing armed conflicts and protecting human rights, and emphasizing the pivotal role they play in opening channels of communication with Arab governments to push them towards joining the Arms Trade Treaty by organizing advocacy campaigns.

While Marina Sabri, the Director of the International Human Rights Mechanisms Unit at Maat (the facilitator of the panel discussion), stressed that irresponsible arms transfers to the Arab region raise many humanitarian concerns. She warned against the lack of monitoring of arms supplies to parties to armed conflicts, which paves the way for committing violations of the principles of international humanitarian law, contributes to the escalation of levels of insecurity and violence even after the end of armed conflicts.

Nada Alqam, a human rights expert, pointed to the challenges that prevent Arab countries from joining the Arms Trade Treaty. She focused on the spread of armed conflicts and civil wars within Arab countries, the lack of awareness and information about the Arms Trade Treaty, and the absence of a strong regional coordination mechanism to promote the universality of the treaty in the Arab region. Alqam stressed that the common factor in all these challenges is the small number of civil society organizations working on conventional arms issues in the Arab region.

Laura Gomez Perez, a human rights researcher, explained the importance of Arab countries joining the Arms Trade Treaty. She mentioned the following: limiting the flow of weapons to perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law and preventing the diversion of weapons to areas of armed conflict, especially in Sudan, which has been mired in a massive human rights and humanitarian crisis because of the influx of weapons and their diversion to the Rapid Support Forces. In addition to enhancing transparency and regional cooperation in the trade in conventional arms by submitting periodic reports.

In conclusion, the panel discussion concluded with a set of recommendations; including the need to enhance regional cooperation between Arab countries to support the universality of the Arms Trade Treaty, activate mechanisms for monitoring and implementing the treaty effectively, work to build the capacities of Arab countries in the field of monitoring the arms trade by providing the necessary technical support and training, encourage Arab countries to join the treaty, develop strong legislative frameworks to regulate the arms trade responsibly, and emphasize the role of civil society in consulting with the governments of Arab countries on the need to join the treaty and raise awareness of the treaty among Arab nations.