Australia has joined 11 other countries in calling on the UN General Assembly to adopt an Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible, after Syria, Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea today blocked efforts to secure a deal at a global conference in New York.
As crucial talks on the world’s first Arms Trade Treaty reach their final days, Oxfam Australia is calling on the Australian Government to push for a strong and effective arms treaty that will save lives.
For the Arms Trade Treaty to be bulletproof, the current loopholes must be closed. Australia should not settle for a compromise deal in the interests of reaching a broad global consensus.
The Australian Government has an unprecedented opportunity at the United Nations next week to lead efforts to secure a tough, legally binding agreement to control the $60 billion a year arms trade.
With the recent escalation of the conflict in Mali, including the intervention of French and Malian armed forces, the dire situation for tens of thousands of Malian refugees is set to worsen, according to a new report published today by international aid agency Oxfam.
With fighting intensifying in Mali and the French military intervention, Oxfam Australia fears there will be tighter restrictions on humanitarian access that will lead to a significant increase in the humanitarian needs of people in the region.
Investment in disaster risk reduction will protect homes from being destroyed or washed away. It will reduce the risk of crop losses – people’s source of food and income. And, most importantly, it will help to save lives.
The tragic case in India has the potential to be a turning point for change in women’s lives in South Asia and beyond.
As the humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo grows, with thousands of people fleeing new fighting in the past 48 hours, international aid agency Oxfam is stepping up the supply of life-saving aid to more than 80,000 people in and around Goma.
In the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, an AK-47 assault rifle costs as little as $20.