Trade Chief lauds Senate for concurring on Arms Trade Treaty

DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez (Photo file/THEPHILBIZNEWS)

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) welcomes the Senate’s concurrence with the President’s ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This marks a watershed moment in the country’s fight against illicit conventional arms trade. The Philippines has once again demonstrated its commitment to effectively regulate the transfer of conventional weapons, ammunitions/munitions, and their parts and components thereby enhancing the country’s international credibility in the cross-border trade of such items.  

The Philippines thus becomes the first ASEAN member state and joins over one hundred other countries in ratifying the ATT. DTI envisions the Philippines as a regional leader in implementing this multilateral treaty governing conventional arms. By setting an example, we hope to inspire our ASEAN neighbors to ratify and implement the ATT and to collaborate in preventing and eradicating the illicit trade in conventional arms, their diversion to the illicit market, or for unauthorized end use and end-users, including the commission of terrorist acts. 

DTI’s Strategic Trade Management Office (DTI-STMO) is prepared to carry out the ATT. The Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) already contain the provisions necessary to implement the ATT. The STMA’s Annex 1 includes all conventional weapons covered by the ATT’s scope, such as ammunitions/ munitions, as well as parts and components, as defined in Article 4 of the ATT. Additionally, acts defined as transfers in the ATT are already included in the scope of STMA-covered acts. Further, the STMA and its IRRs already take into account all relevant factors in assessing the export and import of items as provided in the ATT. 

Ratification of the ATT assures exporters worldwide that the Philippines maintains national controls in accordance with international standards. To this end, DTI-STMO commits to closely collaborate with all relevant agencies of government and consult with industry stakeholders in the issuance of specific guidelines that meet global standards on best practices in the cross-border trade of conventional weapons.