HRC 47th Session: General Comment on the draft Resolution “Impact of arms transfers on human rights”

13 July, 2021

HRC 47^th Session: Decisions and conclusions

General Comment on the draft Resolution “Impact of arms transfers on human rights” (A/HRC/47/L.27)

Delivered by H.E. Andranik HOVHANNISYAN, Permanent Representative

President,

Armenia thanks Ecuador and Peru for this initiative and diligent work in steering negotiations on the impact of arms transfers on human rights, as well as transparent and efficient process of informal consultations they convened. We have constructively participated in and contributed to these deliberations.

Armenia welcomes the particular focus of the draft text in front of us on the enjoyment of human rights by children and youth. We are looking forward to the consensual adoption of this resolution and the analytical report the OHCHR is to prepare upon the adoption of this text.

The thematic resolution on the impact of arms transfers on human rights has been considered by this Council since 2013. In its previous iterations it had its ups and downs by being adopted without a vote and by a recorded vote. It seems that the price for its consensual adoption was the shifting of its major focus towards the diversion of arms and unregulated or illicit arms transfers.

It is not difficult to guess that this exercise belittles the whole array of the inter-State arms transfers and its adverse impact on the enjoyment of human rights within the framework provided by this resolution. That is done in a pretty convenient manner for those who produce, trade and supply arms.

Armenia calls upon all States in such business transactions to introduce mandatory, robust, effective assessment and due diligence mechanisms for the risks of arms supplied being used to commit or facilitate grave violations and abuses of the international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The high level and likelihood of such risk should have its effects on the possible transfers. How much more devastation and havoc the weapons produced should wreak before everyone could recognize that enough is enough?

Finally, we are disappointed that the language related to the Secretary General’s urgent appeal for a global ceasefire because of the COVID-19 pandemic was diluted with a reference to the diversion of arms and unregulated and illicit arms transfers. Armenia recalls that the UN Security Council was bold enough to express its concern that the call for a general and immediate cessation of hostilities made by Secretary General and contained in Security Council resolution 2532 (2020) was not fully heeded. We are convinced that the United Nations and especially its Human Rights Council should not retreat from such unequivocal assessment.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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