From 20 to 24 August 2018, the fourth diplomatic conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty was held in Tokyo, Japan. Flanders plays an active role in the Conference and its working groups, which assist States Parties in the implementation of the Treaty.
As one of the world's most transparent regions in the field of arms import and export, Flanders focuses among other things on correct reporting by States Parties. Tom Nijs, a legal advisor in the Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs, last year was responsible for drafting the guidance document on the reporting obligations of the States Parties. Nijs is currently co-chair of the Working Group on Transparency and reporting. In Tokyo, under his chairmanship, the Conference decided on various measures to improve reporting and thus make the international arms trade more transparent.
In the margins of the conference, the Flemish Peace Institute presented their research on terrorist access to firearms in the EU and on measures taken by EU Member States to prevent the unauthorized end-use of exported conventional arms.
The UN Arms Trade Treaty contains the most important global rules on the international trade in conventional arms. It currently has 97 States Parties.