Did you know there’s more regulation on the global trade of bananas and bottled water than guns and bullets?

It’s been a while since we were last in touch with you. But right now we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect millions of lives around the world devastated by armed violence — and I’m asking for your support to help win our campaign.
Bananas and bullets

Last year, when protesters throughout the Arab world demanded change, military forces in Egypt, Syria, Bahrain and beyond responded with deadly force, staining the streets with the blood of more than 8,000 people.

This could happen because countries including US, Russia, UK and France have been exporting bombs, bullets and other weapons into the region for years — putting their own multi-billion-dollar profits above the value of human lives.
In fact, just six countries supply a whopping 74 percent of the world’s weapons [1], and the US is by far the world’s biggest exporter, making up 35 percent of the world’s total figure.

Tell the US government to stop weapons transfers to human rights abusers, and help take this campaign further by sharing our attention-grabbing ‘infographic’ with your friends and family.

Right now there’s virtually no accountability for how weapons traded between countries are used. In February this year, Egyptian riot police used shotguns and live ammunition to disperse protesters, killing 16 people and injuring hundreds more [2]. And just two weeks ago, the US State Department approved a $1.3 billion “military aid package” to Egypt, without any adequate safeguards that weapons wouldn’t be used to commit abuses [3].

Our best chance of stopping tomorrow’s atrocities means keeping the world’s weapons out of the wrong hands — and this year we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that.

In July, all UN member countries come together to debate the adoption of a global Arms Trade Treaty. Our job is to convince as many governments as possible to agree to a strong treaty that keeps weapons away from dictators and tyrants — and that’s where you come in.

The US government is formulating its position on adopting an arms treaty right now. Click here to join Amnesty supporters worldwide in building pressure on the US to stop sending weapons to human rights abusers.

It’s simply unacceptable that the global trade of bananas is more regulated than the sale and transfer of guns and bullets. Together, we’ll change this. Join our global campaign to prevent the next human rights tragedy.

We look forward to keeping in contact about our Arms Trade Treaty campaign and other important human rights news.

Ming Yu
Arms Trade Treaty campaigner
Amnesty International Australia

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