Why were these categories chosen?

The categories chosen are based on an assessment of what parameters and areas of scope are crucial to make the ATT a robust treaty that will save lives. This list is not exhaustive and should be seen as a starting point to build upon. As the negotiations progress, we envisage adding additional categories – e.g implementation.

The Parameters categories included so far are: ‘Socio-Economic Development’, ‘Armed Violence’, ‘Human Rights’, ‘Corruption’, and ‘International Humanitarian Law’.

The Scope categories included so far are: ‘Ammunition’, ‘Small Arms and Light Weapons’ and other ‘Conventional Weapons’.

What do the different colors mean?

For each category, States’ positions have been rated according to a traffic light system. The color coding is tailored specifically to each map based on some general principles:

Green – Expressed support on an issue and clear position on its inclusion in the treaty.
Amber – Ambiguous or lukewarm position on an issue.
Red – Expressed objection or opposition on an issue.
Black – No information is publicly available, or has not yet been found.

Where are the statements sourced from?

Statements are being collected from a variety of sources, including States’ submissions to the Secretary General in 2007 as well as statements delivered during First Committee debates, the Open Ended Working Group on an ATT, the open sessions during the Preparatory Committee in July 2010 and statements made in the media and on State’s websites. All statements presented on the site are linked to a publicly available source including the UNODA website, scanned copies of Statements, or news stories.

I have more information than your site – what do I do?

The site is meant to work like a Wiki – meaning that we welcome your participation. There is a lot of information out there and the hope is that our audience can help capture it all. In the Contribute section, you will have the option to leave a comment where we encourage anyone with additional information, that can be verifiably sourced, to post links, quotes and statements. Comments will be moderated and vetted before appearing on the site.

To contact us, please email info[at]controlarms.org.