Silence on arms is a ticking bomb

This week UN negotiators are meeting in New York to discuss a global arms trade treaty, ahead of final negotiations this summer.

Believe it or not there are currently no laws in place to control the sale of arms around the world – from bullets and cluster bombs to tear gas – although the trade in consumer products like coffee and bananas are heavily regulated.

With Amnesty International estimating that around 1,500 people are killed in armed conflict every day, this is a huge opportunity for the UK government to save millions of lives.

Yet it’s already showing signs of backing down, with foreign minister Alistair Burt saying in this week’s Independent on Sunday, "there would have to be compromises".

The West has been shaken by the violent crackdown that’s happening in Syria at the moment.

And with countries like Russia thought to be still selling the very weapons being used against civilians, something needs to be done to control this trade.

The idea that Governments around the world are profiting from slaughter is abhorrent but it’s been going on for decades.

According to The Guardian’s research, in the year ending in September 2010, £215million worth of UK export licences for ‘controlled’ products were granted to companies selling to Libya.

‘Controlled’ goods can include everything from radioactive material to guns and tear gas.

So it’s likely crowd control equipment sold to Libya by the UK was used against protesters during last year’s uprising.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has shown his support for the treaty, saying: “A key element in helping prevent conflicts, and making them less deadly when they occur, is better controls on arms supplies.”

But double act Cameron and Clegg have been pretty quiet on the subject.

Government ministers are speaking of compromises but how can you compromise on human life?

It’s high time the UK stood up for the individual instead of big business. I don’t remember Cameron’s Big Society mentioning anything about destroying societies overseas.

This week will help decide the content of the treaty – what will be controlled – as well as how it will be enforced and who is allowed to take part in the talks this July.

Now more than ever is a crucial time for the potentially game-changing treaty.  So here’s hoping the UK stands it ground and does its bit to make the world a safer place.