Spain: 100 days to stop illegal arms trade

Amnesty International, Greenpeace and Intermòn Oxfam gave Spanish officials a ?back to school? kit with all the materials they need to approve a national law to guarantee greater transparency in the commerce of weapons.

There are no laws to regulate or control Spanish imports and exports in weapons. A draft law was proposed in June but has not yet been approved by government. ?We don?t know whether they are selling bombs or handcuffs for police use in countries like Morocco or Guatemala? said Greenpeace spokesperson Juan López de Uralde, as traders are under no obligation to give information about what they sell. Uralde added that ?the proposal for a law to regulate the trade has been lying on their desks for months, one wonders whether they have something to hide?.

While the kits were being handed out by AI, Greenpeace and Intermòn Oxfam, NGO representatives took the opportunity to ask parliamentary officials to call a meeting in the next 15 days to discuss the approval of the law and enable it to be passed by December.

?The approval of this law should be considered an urgent priority because innocent people become victims of the lack of control in the arms trade every minute. While Spain continues not to regulate its trade it is choosing to be part of the problem and not part of the solution? explained Ariane Arpa, general director of Intermòn Oxfam.

AI, Greenpeace and Intermón Oxfam have highlighted the dangers of an unregulated trade in weapons on many occasions, especially the risk of selling weapons to countries that violate human rights.

Spain is the world?s eighth largest weapons exporter. Members of parliament have only 100 days left to approve the law that would finally bring transparency into the weapons business.

More info:

• www.es.amnesty.org