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Lutheran World Federation  President Younan Says; Arms Trade Treaty Is an Important Tool for Non-Violent Conflict Resolution

LWF President, Bishop Munib A. Younan

LWF Member Churches Encouraged to Urge Governments to Sign Treaty

GENEVA, 12 April 2013 (LWI) – The first-ever global Arms Trade Treaty will be an important tool for peaceful and non-violent resolution of conflicts, with justice and respect for the dignity and rights of every person, says Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, President of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
In a statement today welcoming the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty by the United Nations General Assembly on 2 April, Younan emphasized, “Our world needs more justice and human rights, not more guns. The Arms Trade Treaty will help make that possible.”
Younan who is bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, called upon the LWF member churches to urge their respective governments “to quickly sign and ratify” the treaty, which he said is “an important tool toward reducing armed violence in our world.”
The LWF president expressed gratitude and support to the World Council of Churches for its leading role in the years-long advocacy seeking to regulate the international arms trade and on other disarmament issues. “This has been a sterling example of international ecumenical advocacy, where churches have been able to engage at the local, national and international level, bringing the painful stories of local communities to the global stage,” he said.
According to the Control Arms coalition of civil society organizations, the Arms Trade Treaty creates binding obligations for governments to ensure that weapons will not be used for human rights abuses, terrorism, transnational organized crime or violations of humanitarian law. The treaty will open for signature on 3 June 2013.
Below is the Presidents statement

Statement on the Arms Trade Treaty
In my capacities both as President of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and as Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, I welcome and give thanks to God for the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty. There are too many people in our world today who are suffering from crimes and atrocities carried out by persons using illegal and unregulated weapons. This treaty will be an important tool toward reducing armed violence in our world.
I also wish to express great appreciation and support for the years-long advocacy led by the World Council of Churches through the Ecumenical Campaign for a Strong and Effective Arms Trade Treaty. This has been a sterling example of international ecumenical advocacy, where churches have been able to engage at the local, national, and international level, bringing the painful stories of local communities to the global stage. The LWF is grateful to the WCC for its leadership on this and other disarmament issues.
In my own region of the Middle East and throughout the world, the LWF prays and calls for peaceful, non-violent resolution of conflicts, with justice and respect for the dignity and rights of each person, each man, woman, and child. Our world needs more justice and human rights, not more guns. The Arms Trade Treaty will help make that possible. I call upon the member churches of the LWF to urge the governments of their countries to quickly sign and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty.
Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan
President of The Lutheran World Federation and
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
12 April 2013

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