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CAAT would prefer to be welcoming the passing of the Export Control Bill in the House of Commons today. It is the first bill in 60 years intended to clamp down on damaging arms exports. CAAT welcomes the bill’s provision to curb the brokering of dangerous weaponry by UK citizens and companies. However three

COPEX Fails to Disclose Its Invitation List CAAT supporters staged a protest outside the COPEX exhibition on Sandown Racecourse today, disappointed that the exhibition’s new administration would not disclose which countries were represented by delegates. COPEX (Contingency and Operational Procurement Exhibition) exhibits surveillance, security, and riot control technology. Its main

Network for Peace, a coalition of more than 20 peace organisations, will be handing in petitions to 10 Downing St. at 10 a.m. today. Network for Peace has received more than 50,000 signatures calling for the de-militarisation of the response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Petitioners are urging that, through international

CAAT is concerned that the UK minister attending the United Nations Small Arms Conference (which starts today), will have her credibility undermined by today’s second reading of the UK’s Export Control Bill. Richard Bingley of CAAT said: The UN desperately needs weapons controls to be rigorous and implemented by member states around

A UN Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects will meet from today (9th-20th July) in New York. The focus will be on rifles, machine guns, ammunition and mortars. In the lead-up to the conference, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recently said: In an era where the world will no longer stand

CAAT are concerned that there are too few measures in the government’s export bill to combat problems caused by arms trading. The primary legislation announced today appears to be the start of a lost opportunity. The most immediate concern is the lack of an attempt to control licensed production abroad. Also, end-use

CAAT welcome the inclusion of a Strategic Export Bill in the Queen’s Speech. However, several core measures must be included in the Export Control and Non-proliferation Bill to make the legislation effective. These include: More detailed information in the Strategic Exports Controls Annual Report. A minimum requirement would be details of the quantity

In 1999, Royal Ordnance (subsidiary of BAE) was granted a licence for exporting 105mm light-gun upgrades to Morocco who are embroiled in a long-term conflict with the Saharawi (against whom light-guns have previously been deployed). In 1994, Robin Cook said Hawks had been observed on bombing runs in East Timor in most