EU Statement - ATT 11th Conference of States Parties - Matters pertaining to the 12th Conference

EU Statement

on Matters pertaining to the Twelfth Conference of States Parties (CSP12)

Arms Trade Treaty

Eleventh Conference of States Parties

Geneva, 25-29 August 2025

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States on the United Kingdom’s proposal to endorse a mandate to progress a longer-term ATT strategy for a decision by CSP12.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Republic of Moldova[1] and Georgia, as well as the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement. 

We would like to express our appreciation to the United Kingdom for proposing this important initiative. We share the assessment of structural challenges faced by the ATT community, and in the spirit of the Political Declaration of 2024 we are ready to take up coordinated work to address them. Strong commitment, experience, expertise, and significant resources of States Parties and other stakeholders could be put to better use if we decide to focus them on clearly defined goals. A significant part of this work should be to define performance indicators to determine how Treaty implementation by States Parties serves its object – to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade in conventional arms for the purpose of reducing human suffering. 

The EU has already recognized both these directions – focus and measurability - in the design of the fourth phase of the EU outreach project in support of the Treaty for the years 2025-2028, emphasizing better progress measuring and seeking closer coordination with other assistance providers to ensure maximum effort on specified objectives and avoid duplication of work. We want to seize the opportunity to share our experience in the work on the strategy. 

The draft decision by CSP11 as presented by the UK, would entrust the drafting of the strategy to a broad and representative ATT Bureau, ensuring also appropriate input by States Parties through informal consultations, and securing consensual character of the strategy through adoption by a future CSP. Drafting of the strategy would be of merit for the advancement of ATT implementation. 

In drafting the decision, it should be made clear that the work of the Bureau on the draft strategy is not affected by temporary vacancies for some ATT office holder positions, such as Working Group chairpersonships, as the draft decision now refers to “all” office holders. Members of the Management Committee (MC) could also be more explicitly referred to as office holders. As the MC handles financial and organisational issues, its members are well placed to participate in the drafting of the strategy.

Thank you.

[1]North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.