Row over ‘double standards’ as arms fair opens
THE Government has been accused of double standards for participating in arms control talks in Geneva at the same time that London hosts the world’s biggest arms fair.
The opening of the Defence & Security Equipment International (Desi) today coincides with the annual meeting of signatories to the Arms Trade Treaty in Switzerland.
But the UK has been criticised by Oxfam for selling arms that fuel the war in Yemen, while also funding aid efforts to help those suffering.
Oxfam GB’s head of campaigns, Sally Copley, said: “Since the war began not one licence to export arms to Saudi Arabia has been rejected by the Government.
“When you are witness to the suffering in Yemen it is hard to understand or excuse how the UK government talks the talk on arms control while it walks the walk of arms sales.
“It helped push through and signed up to an international arms control law, the Arms Trade Treaty, that it intended to stop arms going to repressive regimes but it continues to sell arms to some of the world’s worst human rights abusers.”
Oxfam issued its call as more than 100 countries were due to gather in Geneva for the third Conference of States Parties of the Arms Trade Treaty.
A spokesman for the Department of International Trade said: “The UK government takes its defence export responsibilities very seriously and already operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.
“We rigorously examine every application on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National arms export licensing criteria.”