I recently had the honour of presenting the work of the ‘Parliamentarians for Global Action Group’ and a progress update on ‘The Arms Trade Treaty’ to India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur in Delhi.
Along with Chair of the PGA National Group of India and Member of (Indian) Parliament E M S Natchiappan MP and PGA Director of Projects Peter Barcroft, I also had the opportunity to discuss the ‘Sustainable Development and Population Programme.’
This programme aims to inform parliamentarians and stimulate effective policymaking in the areas of Population and Reproductive Health and Environmental Health.
Ms Kaur showed considerable interest and enthusiasm for this programme, including the possibility of a workshop in India next year to further its goals.
This was a very successful meeting led from my earlier discussions with the Minister on the Control Arms Global Parliamentary Declaration on the Arms Trade Treaty, including the fact that more than 1200 MPs from 55 countries worldwide have signed this Declaration.
Next to disease and natural disaster, arms trade is the most serious threat to development faced by politicians across the globe. Without this Treaty, the global trade in conventional weapons remains under-regulated.
I also briefed a group of 20 prominent MPs from all regions of India on the Arms Trade Treaty.
It was especially pleasing that as a result of the meeting, 40 Members of Parliament from India signed the Global Parliamentary Declaration on the ATT and a large number of MPs became members of PGA.
Ross Robertson is an elected Member of Parliament from Manukau East constituency representing Labour Party. He is also President of the ‘Parliamentarians for Global Action Group.’ He is seen in the picture here with Ms Preneet Kaur.
