The Honourable Bill Graham

Minister of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2

Fax 613-996-9607

E-mail [email protected]

Dear Minister Graham,

It is estimated that 500,000 people are killed each year by small arms and light weapons. Small arms were used during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994; they are used in local conflicts, and by human rights abusers. Insufficient controls over the trade of small arms contributes to this situation.

I urge you to support the continued implementation of the 2001 United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

Additional international arms controls are needed. In order to make the UN Programme of Action more effective, an Arms Trade Treaty proposal has recently been put forward by Oxfam, Amnesty International and IANSA (the International Action Network on Small Arms). The proposed treaty would require that states exercise their responsibilities under international law to control the transfer of small arms, particularly where there is potential that they will be used to commit abuses of human rights, genocide or crimes against humanity.

Canada was a leading country in the campaign to ban land mines. I urge you to show the same leadership by supporting the proposal for an effective Arms Trade Treaty to control small arms and light weapons.

Yours sincerely,

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