On 20 August 2024, the Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations (Geneva) organised a seminar on Latvia’s experience in arms export controls during the annual meeting of the parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Addressing the participants, Ģirts Jaunzems, Director of the Foreign Trade and Foreign Economic Relations Promotion Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed the need to create a common understanding and determine the responsibility of arms producers regarding export control issues in different continents of the world. The role of arms export controls in achieving comprehensive peace and security objectives was highlighted. Participants appreciated the experience of Latvia as a small country and its willingness to share its experience as a staunch defender of the international legal order.
The Latvian experience was presented by representatives of the Latvian authorities responsible for arms export control – the Strategic Goods Export Control Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and experts from the Financial Intelligence Unit. The non-governmental sector was represented by PAX, an organisation of activists for peace. The discussion was moderated by Dr Kārlis Bukovskis, Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs.
The seminar focused on the transfer of experience to export control experts from more distant regions – Africa, Latin and Central America, and Oceania.
The event was part of the public diplomacy programme in support of the lobbying campaign for Latvia’s candidacy for the UN Security Council. It aims to ensure Latvia’s successful election to the 2025 UN Security Council for the period 2026–2027, where Latvia is a first-time candidate for an elected seat. The motto of the campaign – Together for Peace and Resilience. A seat in the UN Security Council would be one of Latvia’s most important tools for pursuing and defending its foreign policy interests and would further expand Latvia’s international cooperation, contributing to world peace and resilience.
Background information
ATT
The Arms Trade Treaty is based on Article 26 of the UN Charter, which advocates the maintenance of international peace and security and the reduction of the proliferation of uncontrolled arms. The ATT establishes export control standards for international trade in conventional arms.
The ATT Treaty was signed in 2013, and Latvia was one of the signatories.
In 2019, Latvia became the first Eastern European country to chair the ATT on a voluntary basis. Latvia is currently represented on the ATT Steering Committee and on the Board of the Voluntary Trust Fund.
115 countries from all continents have already joined the ATT.
