Add your face to call for Arms Control

Two years ago, governments voted at the UN to begin work on a global, legally-binding Arms Trade Treaty to control the unregulated international arms trade, which fuels conflict, poverty and serious human rights abuses around the world. Last month they were back at the UN in New York - 147 states voted to continue to work towards the Treaty (see above photo).

The vote is another step in the right direction and clearly shows the growing support across the world for tighter regulation of the arms trade. Only two countries - the US and Zimbabwe - voted against an Arms Trade Treaty - shameful. As the discussions now move into 2009, we need to continue to press governments to act quickly and ensure a strong Treaty. Join the million faces petition which is still open here and already has over 700,000 signatures!

Every day, over 1000 people are killed directly with firearms and many thousands more die indirectly as a consequence of armed violence, or are driven from their homes, forced off their land, raped, tortured or maimed. Since the UN process started in December 2006, approximately 695,000 people have been killed directly with firearms, illustrating the urgent need for an Arms Trade Treaty.