Global weapons trade

Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu comments a Chinese weapons delivery to Zimbabwe. "Shipping arms to African governments which could use them to abuse their own people is an abhorrent but almost daily occurrence. And at present there is nothing the international community can do about it. ... At the moment the United Nations is working on an arms trade treaty that could stop weapons transfers like this one to Zimbabwe. If a strong treaty eventually becomes law, then an arms exporter will have to block the sale if there is evidence the weapons are likely to be used to commit serious violations of human rights law. ... Governments who treat their people well have nothing to fear from a treaty, and neither will legitimate arms producers. In fact there is support from many arms manufacturers for a treaty: they want their business recognised as legitimate and the crooks banned from operating."

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