“This latest commitment shows that no company is too big to listen to its customers. Three of the biggest food giants in the world are changing how they operate because consumers have demanded it,” Beals said
“We hope that the steps taken by Mars, Mondelēz International and Nestle offer an example to the rest of the food and beverage industry that consumers are paying attention to how companies impact the communities they work in. All the large food and beverage companies can and should take basic steps, like signing the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles or they will face increasing questions from their customers.
“Leaders at each and every food company should look at how they are operating and ask themselves whether they are truly contributing to building a world where everyone has enough nutritious food to eat. It is time for companies to get off the starting blocks and compete in a race to the top.”
The Behind the Brands campaign will continue to highlight areas where companies are not living up to their responsibilities to communities. New actions launch later in 2013.
Specifics on the commitments from all three companies can be seen at:
Mondelēz International: http://www.mondelezinternational.com/MediaCenter/index.aspx
Mars: http://cocoasustainability.com/2013/03/mars-chocolate-and-oxfam-america-agree-to-intentional-approach-to-empower-women/
Nestle: http://www.nestle.com/csv/responsible-sourcing/women
/ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. Oxfam’s investigation into inequality for women in cocoa supply chains is available at: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/mars-mondelez-and-nestle-and-the-fight-for-women2019s-rights
2. Oxfam’s Behind the Brands ranking of food and beverage companies is available at www.behindthebrands.org
Zhai Fan, Manager of Oxfam’s Chengdu Office, said that the first batch of supplies arriving in the area includes 2,180 quilts, 57 tents, 500 sanitary kits and 108 sets of cooking utensils.
“We will work with local poverty alleviation officials since they can help us stay informed with the latest developments,” Fan said. “With the company of local officials and village representatives, we will first gain an understanding of the situation and needs of every household, and then we will brief the villagers on the usage of these supplies. Upon their consent, we will distribute the materials accordingly.”
Oxfam staff is preparing additional emergency relief supplies, including 185 rolls of waterproof fabric, 2,000 quilts, 1,000 sanitary kits and 2,000 mosquito nets. Feng Ming-ling, Manager of Oxfam’s Kunming Office said that waterproof fabric is a practical material for earthquake survivors because they can be manipulated into different forms of shelter according to people’s needs.
“Post-quake survivors are under a lot of mental stress – they have lost their homes, and their lives have turned upside down. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we help them restore their daily lives and their confidence in rebuilding their homes as soon as possible. There are enough materials inside our sanitary kits for a family of four. We hope by meeting their basic needs, we can help them resume a normal life soon,” said Feng.
Oxfam’s Kunming Office is collecting feedback from frontline field workers as well as information, such as types of relief supplies distributed, from government officials and other aid agencies. Oxfam will use all this information as reference when purchasing the next batch of materials. As supplies arrive in the quake-stricken area, Oxfam’s frontline workers will also carry out assessment in nearby townships and respond to those in great need.
/ENDS
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in 99 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam. To join our efforts or learn more, go to www.oxfamamerica.org
]]>“Oxfam joined the Voluntary Principles for Security and Human Rights (VPs) in 2006, but has decided to terminate its membership at this time. For the past 6 years, Oxfam was a leader in moving the VP agenda forward with key accomplishments in standards, complaint mechanisms, participation criteria and governance.
“Our decision stems in large part from our frustration at the lack of meaningful progress in independent assurance, despite more than ten years of deliberation and discussion -- and notwithstanding the commendable efforts of some companies to develop relevant indicators on the margins of the VPs. We believe that independent assurance - as a condition of membership - is essential to building and maintaining the credibility of the VPs and strongly encourage members to push for its adoption.
“We recognize the important contributions the VPs have made to the protection and promotion of human rights. We also recognize the on-going work of member companies working towards improvements in their on-the ground implementation of the VPs in many of their operations. We continue to be supportive of the VPs and wish it the best of success in its efforts.”
]]>The organization says that the international community and national authorities need to better understand why and who is vulnerable to food crises, break down the short-term emergency and long-term development barriers inherent in the aid community, and invest more in national and local governments and organizations who must be better placed to respond to crises.
The report, Learning the Lessons, which evaluates the quality of the humanitarian response in 2012, is launched at a time when ten million people across the region continue to be threatened by hunger, and five million children are still affected by malnutrition. A flood-hit harvest in food-exporting Nigeria is adding further pressures, while last week experts judged that food security in northern Mali has reached crisis level.
“It’s right to say that the response to the food crisis was bigger and better than we have seen before, but wrong to think it was good enough. Complacency is a huge risk. The first thing we need to do is recognize that the crisis is not over yet. Millions of poor families still struggle to buy enough food to eat as food prices remain high and conflict is still disrupting markets in the region. We need to radically change the way we respond to these recurrent crises to both saves lives and put people on a better footing to withstand this cycle of hunger,” said David Macdonald, Oxfam’s Regional Director.
The 2012 food crisis put more than 18 million people in nine countries at risk of hunger, jeopardizing their lives and livelihoods, while over one million children were at risk of severe acute malnutrition.
Oxfam says that lives were saved because early warning systems worked well, governments in the Sahel recognized the crisis and called for support early on, and some donors, especially the European Commission Humanitarian Office, released funds quickly and generously and aid organizations were quick to respond.
Yet there were significant weaknesses that meant millions missed out. Initial disagreement around the severity of the crisis led to a critical delay in the response, and 50 percent of the requested funding was still missing as the crisis approached its peak. Despite improved engagement from governments in the region, there were still critical gaps in their capacity to lead the response to the crisis.
The report argues that 2013 provides a decisive opportunity to introduce a new and better model for tackling hunger, strengthening the resilience of populations in the region to cope and even thrive despite external shocks such as drought. As well as learning the immediate lessons of the 2012 crisis, the report also calls for greater investment in small-scale agriculture, food reserves and social protection programs, as well as scaling up efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition.
]]>“Time and again, Oxfam has witnessed how the focus on violence directly-related to combat obscures gender-based violence. The decision to join other members of the G8 group of countries in supporting the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative will help ensure that such violence is no longer considered an after-thought in efforts to prevent and respond to conflict,” said Oxfam America Humanitarian Policy Manager Shannon Scribner. “This is part of recognizing that women and men experience violent conflicts in different ways. The types of violence that women and girls too often experience in conflict are not only a violation of their rights, but are a barrier to women’s active citizenship and a fundamental constraint to alleviating poverty.”
In Bosnia, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, rape has been used systematically as a weapon of war. The conflict in Syria has forced an estimated1.2 million people to flee their homes, and Oxfam is seeing an increase not only in violence against women but also in forced marriages, often of very young girls, as families struggle financially. Violence is not limited to the battlefield, however, and does not stop when wars end. In non-conflict emergencies, such as the 2004 tsunami, women were also vulnerable to gender based violence and coercion. For instance, Oxfam partners in Sri Lanka noticed high levels of domestic violence in post-tsunami camps.
“Gender-based violence occurs in all cultures, although it tends to be more pronounced during conflict, when break-downs in the social fabric and the rule of law often lead to widespread impunity for these crimes,” Scribner said. “That is why, it is key that this initiative includes training police, investigators, and prosecutors on gender-based violence and supporting effective interventions to influence the social norms that may perpetuate such violence in the first place.”
Women must be meaningfully engaged in security sector reform, as well as in peace processes. The dedication of funds by the US government to address sexual violence in conflict comes shortly after the passage of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security in December of 2011, which delineated a set of actions the US commits to taking to protect and promote the rights of women in all stages of conflict and peace-building. Oxfam supports the increased focus and attention to this critical issue, recognizing that we still have a long way to go to ensure that women’s rights - including but not limited to the right to be free from sexual violence - are protected in conflict or post-conflict settings.
This announcement goes against the grain of most international responses to armed conflict, which historically have prioritized military assistance and intervention rather than addressing the security needs of communities. With increasingly blurred lines between combatants and non-combatants and the home front and the front line in contemporary war, the international community must develop a better understanding of how insecurity affects men, women, boys and girls differently and plan and fund interventions to ensure that all people enjoy equal rights, safety, opportunities and dignity.
/ENDS
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in 99 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. Oxfam America is an affiliate of Oxfam. To join our efforts or learn more, go to www.oxfamamerica.org
]]>In new survey findings released today for an upcoming report entitled Quiet Renaissance: How reforms are making America a better partner in the fight against poverty, Oxfam outlined how US foreign assistance reforms are going in the right direction, and underscores that they are being well received. The findings were released at a Washington, DC event featuring USAID Administrator Raj Shah, Malawi Health Network Executive Director Martha Kwaitane, and moderated by Kojo Nnamdi, host of WAMU 88.5’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show.
"Our findings clearly show what we’ve known for years: that development depends on the choices and actions of people in developing countries themselves, not on donors,” said Paul O’Brien, vice-president of policy and campaigns at Oxfam America. “It’s great to see the US government is recognizing that there’s tremendous value in the power of local people to decide how aid is spent, and how to execute and lead their own development efforts in partnership with the US.”
“America is a better partner now because foreign assistance is more focused on empowering citizens to tackle problems of poverty and health themselves,” said Kwaitaine, who attended the report launch in Washington, DC.
Oxfam’s report draws on extensive field interviews that Oxfam America conducted with citizens, civil society representatives, businesspeople and public officials in US aid recipient countries including Bangladesh, Ghana, Malawi, Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda, and Senegal. Key findings from the report include:
Oxfam’s survey did find some frustration among recipients in that from their perspective, the US government is often moving too slowly to implement this reform.
Oxfam America offered a number of recommendations in the report, including increasing two-way information sharing with stakeholders and partners at all stages of the development process, continuing to invest in strengthening recipient country public institutions, including through budget support, to strengthen accountability and responsiveness, and expanding investments in democracy, governance and accountability though civil society groups and take stronger action to bring civil society voices into the development process at all levels.
“The US government is showing that it is relearning the lesson of leveraging local leadership,” continued O’Brien. “But it’s time for the US to accelerate and deepen these reforms in order to maximize its contribution to the fight against poverty.”
]]>The President’s budget proposed level funding for key anti-poverty programs, such as Feed the Future, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, while pushing forward reforms of America’s food aid programs that would help feed possibly millions more people with no additional costs to the American taxpayer. The budget release comes as Oxfam America prepares to unveil findings from a field survey that shows marked improvements in US development efforts on the ground.
“President Obama is walking the talk by supporting key global anti-poverty programs, while also taking an important step towards long overdue reforms to bring food aid into the 21st century,” said Paul O’Brien, vice president of policy and campaigns at Oxfam America. “Now it’s up to Congress to fund these life-saving programs and take up common sense reforms of the food aid program; first to assist hungry people, second to honor taxpayers.”
The United States is the world’s most generous donor of food aid, but numerous studies by the Government Accountability Office among others have shown that the system for delivering that aid is plagued by inefficiencies and waste. President Obama’s proposal would allow humanitarian responders more flexibly, such as purchasing food from local or regional sources. This shift, if passed by Congress, would allow US aid to reach millions more people with life-saving aid at no additional cost to American taxpayers. Although number of aid agencies, including Oxfam, are supporting this reform, special interests in Washington who profit from the current system are already trying to block President Obama’s proposal.
“Those in Washington who are interested in fiscally responsibility should throw their full support behind the President’s leadership to modernize our aid programs, especially food aid,” said O’Brien. “The President’s proposal will get food to more hungry people faster, cheaper and more efficiently. Congress should quickly turn the proposal into law.”
The reform of US-funded food assistance programs is part of a wider effort on the part of President Obama’s Administration to modernize development assistance so that it’s more efficient and truly delivers in the fight against poverty. Other reforms, such as Implementation and Procurement Reform, are rooted in the recognition that there’s tremendous value in the power of local people to decide how aid is spent, and how to execute and lead their own development efforts in partnership with the US.
Despite coming under fire from vested interests in Washington, reforms already put in place by the Obama Administration are making waves on the ground in developing countries. Findings from a survey conducted by Oxfam America with citizens, civil society representatives, businesspeople and public officials in seven US aid recipient countries reveal that such reforms are making a difference and are getting noticed. Over 83% of respondents surveyed by Oxfam call US a better development partner than five years ago.
“The Obama Administration is recognizing that there’s tremendous value in the power of local people to decide how aid is spent, and how to execute and lead their own development efforts in partnership with the US,” continued O’Brien. "Congress must now deepen and accelerate reforms, while continuing to support the small but critically important parts of our country’s budget to save lives, help people lift themselves out of poverty, spur economic growth, and make the world a better and safer place.”
]]>Similar to the recently passed US “Cardin-Lugar” provision or Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the European directive goes further by requiring both public and privately-held companies to disclose their payments. Like the US law, companies will be required to disclose payments, such as taxes and royalties, above 100,000 Euros for individual projects in every country of operation.
“With the US law covering the vast majority of internationally operating oil companies and world’s largest mining companies along with the European rules covering even more companies, the transparency net will be cast far and wide,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “This is a huge victory for citizens living in resource rich countries. We applaud Europe’s leaders and Members of the European Parliament for not caving under oil industry lobbying efforts to water down the rules.”
In the US, an oil industry lawsuit was filed against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to overturn the rules promulgated by the regulatory agency last August. Oxfam has intervened in the lawsuit on the side of the SEC and the US Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in the case on March 22.
As in the US, EU regulators and political leaders were not convinced of any host country prohibitions against disclosing this payment information. Like the SEC rule, the EU agreed directive does not allow for any company exemptions to the payment disclosure requirement.
"The strong law in the US and the EU requirements agreed today show that payment transparency has already become a global norm,” said Gary. “Oil companies should join citizens in resource-rich countries, investors, and energy consumers in embracing transparency, rather than seeking to turn back the tide through litigation."
The EU directive and the US law will complement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, a set of principles adopted by some countries under which governments publicly disclose their revenues from oil, gas and mining projects, and companies make parallel disclosures regarding payments they make to host government for accessing publicly owned resources.
]]>The report, Human Rights and Social Conflict in the Oil, Gas, and Mining Industries, aims to help NHRI’s evaluate their effectiveness by providing a framework to analyze their successes and shortcomings in addressing human rights abuses around oil, gas and mining projects. NHRI’s have been internationally recognized human rights actors since 1993, when the United Nations adopted what are known as the Paris Principles to help establish human rights norms at the national level. To date, there are 99 of these institutions globally.
“The growing popularity of National Human Rights Institutions in the last decade is a positive sign that governments are beginning to think about human rights at the national level,” said Emily Greenspan, senior policy advisory with Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “It’s now time for governments to give these institutions teeth in order to play a more active role in preventing human rights abuses and to respond quickly and effectively when these abuses do occur.”
From Peru to Ghana, controversies surrounding oil, gas and mining projects have in many instances erupted into social conflict and violence. While some NHRI’s have been successful at mitigating violence around oil, gas and mining projects, there is significant room for improvement, according to the report.
The research finds that these institutions tend to face many obstacles, such as inadequate funding or lack of independence from a political party. Oxfam highly recommends that governments and civil society take advantage of the evaluation criteria presented in the report to measure the weaknesses and strengths of their country’s human rights institution.
“In the context of the extractive industries, NHRIs have the potential to play a critical role in preventing human rights abuses,” said Greenspan. “Governments should invest adequate resources to enable these institutions to perform effectively. At the same time, NHRIs should ensure that they coordinate closely with civil society and oil and mining companies, and most importantly with project-affected communities.”
For example, the case study on Ghana highlighted in the report finds that its human rights institution -- Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) -- should improve communications with communities affected by oil, gas and mining operations. Furthermore, CHRAJ needs to educate community members of their rights, how extractive projects may violate their rights and how they can seek remedy if these rights are violated.
“As the report highlights, CHRAJ should develop a strategy for creating a dialogue with local communities in order to take a more proactive approach to preventing human rights abuses in the mining and emerging oil sectors,” said Augustine Niber, executive director of the Ghana-based Center for Public Interest Law.
“If CHRAJ and other NHRIs begin to effectively and proactively engage with project-affected communities in preventing human rights abuses and conflict, local communities, oil and mining companies, and host governments will all benefit.”
Notes to Editor:
- Webcast of the report launch can be viewed here.
]]>Ten years after the conflict began, 1.4 million people are living in internal displacement camps and receiving food aid and 3.4 million, half the population of Darfur, require some form of humanitarian assistance. As a result, life in this region has completely changed.
“The path to recovery is not a paved one, not yet. Measures must be taken by donors to ensure that monies already pledged are channeled in the right direction. We must bridge emergency relief to recovery and development in Darfur, but with proper planning, the active participation of concerned populations, stability on the ground, and transparency throughout the process,” said Sara Musa, Oxfam’s Regional Director in Khartoum.
“Focusing on achieving a lasting peace will help ensure a smooth recovery process. Involvement and inclusion of the people of Darfur is critical and cannot be forgotten.”
Continued displacement in several parts of Darfur remains a challenge to recovery and development in Darfur. As some donors have already pledged contributions, mechanisms for managing these funds are essential. An adequate assessment on the ground is imperative before any implementation takes place. Now that the conference is over, questions of where, how, and by whom these funds are used must be immediately addressed.
“As the conference concludes, timing is critical for recovery and development in Darfur. The next steps are crucial, and no steps can be taken unless citizens are an active part of the peace process. Donors, authorities, and the international community must be accountable to the affected populations when planning and providing aid or we will continue to have this conversation every year as communities continue to suffer,” said Musa.
]]>According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, the majority of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in urban areas, outside of formal camp settings. Aid organizations say it makes it harder for them to access vital help as the refugee population is widely dispersed in Jordan’s cities and towns.
Assessments carried out in host communities in Jordan by aid organizations Oxfam and CARE International have found that refugees are facing increased debt as they struggle to pay for soaring rent and rising costs for food, water, and other basic essentials.
Many refugees in urban areas of Jordan are living in unheated or unfurnished apartments or garages, which are often overcrowded, with as many as twenty people, normally from extended family groups, sharing two or three rooms.
Geoffrey Dennis, chief executive of CARE International UK said: “The refugee crisis in urban areas is far less visible, but no less serious, than in the refugee camps. No matter where refugees seek shelter, we must ensure that they do not continue suffering.”
The Jordanian government is to be commended for keeping its border open and providing assistance for the refugees, despite severely strained resources. Jordanian host communities have also been extremely generous, but tensions are starting to arise because of the increase in refugee numbers and mounting pressure on limited services.
Syrian refugees have access to primary health care and schooling in Jordan, but often the available services are already stretched to the limit or far from their homes. Rental prices have gone up two to three times in the last year and there’s also been an increase in food and gas prices.
Oxfam’s Syria response crisis manager, Francis Lacasse, said: “Syrian refugees in host communities urgently need help. As long as they have no access to income, their problems will only multiply. People are already running out of money for rent and basic needs; refugees are taking loans from each other, but soon there will be nothing left for them to borrow.”
“Families will be forced to desperate measures to get by; many are already obliged to beg for food. They are deeply ashamed to do this, but they have no choice.”
The number of refugees fleeing Syria into Jordan has surged since the beginning of the year. More than 367,000 have sought registration with the UNHCR although the Jordanian government estimates the total figure is as high as 420,000.
Research by the aid organizations shows that average level of debt among urban refugees is $650, which represents about three months' rent.
Oxfam is increasing its response, planning to provide cash assistance to some of the most vulnerable populations in Jordan and support both host families and refugees with water.
To support Oxfam’s work assisting Syrian refugees, please click here.
]]>Over two dozen voices – economists, faith leaders, journalists, advocates, and former military leaders – open a national conversation with bold perspectives on how Americans must work together to come up with new solutions to the huge and growing problems of poverty and low-wage work. Americans are urged to join the conversation, and share their stories and ideas through oxfamamerica.org/voices and social media.
“More than 100 million Americans live in or near poverty, struggling every day to make ends meet,” said Offenheiser. “America has long presented itself to the world as the model of successful, inclusive growth that lifts millions into the middle class. While that was true during the decades after World War II, it is simply no longer the case.”
America’s poverty rate is now at its highest level in two generations, and many Americans are in jobs that do not pay a living wage. Fifty million Americans live on incomes below the federal poverty level ($11,722 for an individual and $23,497 for a family of four) and another 50 million are in near poverty, with incomes less than twice the poverty threshold. Most of these people work, earning wages of less than $14 an hour. Children bear a huge burden, with 44 percent of them in or near poverty.
“As a global anti-poverty organization, we believe poverty is about power, not scarcity,” continued Offenheiser. “It’s time to tackle this injustice head on. We need a robust national conversation about how we can right this wrong.”
Voices on US Poverty seeks to bring issues of economic and social justice into the national debate about the future of the country. Oxfam America will post all the essays on the website (oxfamamerica.org/voices), publish them in a booklet, and host an event in Washington, DC, in May.
]]>“The Arms Trade Treaty provides a powerful alternative to the body bag approach currently used to respond to humanitarian crises and mass loss of life,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “Over the long-term, the Arms Trade Treaty will change how countries engage in the arms trade by requiring exporters to take human rights seriously.”
After six years of diplomatic negotiations, and more than 10 years of campaigning from civil society, governments at the United Nations voted for the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by a resounding majority (154 votes YES – 3 votes NO, 23 Abstentions). The treaty enshrines in new international law a set of clear rules for all international transfers of arms and ammunitions.
“At last we have a legally binding international treaty that will regulate the world’s deadliest business,” said Anna Macdonald, Oxfam’s Head of Arms Control. “The agreement of the Arms Trade Treaty sends a clear message to arms dealers who supply war lords and dictators that their time is up. They will no longer be able to operate and arm themselves with impunity.”
The vote at the UN General Assembly was held just five days after Iran, North Korea and Syria blocked the Treaty’s adoption by consensus in a tense session on the last day of the Final Conference on the ATT.
The Treaty will create binding obligations for governments to assess all arms transfers against the risk that weapons will be used for human rights abuses, terrorism, transnational organized crime or violations of humanitarian law. It will require governments to refuse any transfers of weapons if there is a major risk countries would use them to violate human rights or commit war crimes.
"The Obama administration deserves a lot of credit for ensuring throughout the negotiations that the treaty completely bans all arms transfers that exporters know will be used for genocide and other human rights crimes," said Offenheiser. "The President must now lead by example by signing this treaty as soon as it opens for signature in June."
Oxfam is calling on all states that have supported the treaty to prioritize signing and implementing the treaty to the highest possible standards. The agency said that all governments must commit to passing the necessary national legislation in order to bring the treaty into force as soon as possible.
]]>Oxfam, a leading member of the Control Arms Coalition, says the historic treaty is still within reach but that proceedings were delayed today when a handful of skeptical states used their veto power against the huge majority of states that want to see a treaty passed. The United States joined Kenya and 11 other states to call for the UN General Assembly to adopt the Treaty by vote as soon as possible.
“We are disappointed that North Korea, Syria, and Iran blocked agreement, for at least today, on a treaty that would save millions of people who suffer from armed violence every day,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “Despite their actions, rogue arms dealers and war criminals should not celebrate. The treaty will become a reality when it goes to the UN General Assembly for a vote next week.”
Countries will mostly likely vote next week, when Ambassador Peter Woolcott, president of the Conference, presents his report. It’s widely anticipated the treaty will pass by a majority of states, enshrining in international law for the first time ever, a set of rules to regulate the global arms trade.
“We are determined to ensure this treaty will become a reality – it’s just a matter of time,” said Anna Macdonald, Oxfam’s Head of Arms Control. “We believe the fight for an Arms Trade Treaty is almost over and we are close to the start of a new era. We have a clear message for human rights abusers and gunrunners – your time is nearly up.”
While the United States originally called for the negotiations to occur on the basis of consensus, it has now made clear that it is ready to support the current treaty.
"We applaud the Obama administration for standing on the right side of history and joining with other countries to call for a vote on the treaty at the General Assembly as soon as possible," said Offenheiser."This treaty will save lives and completely ban arms shipments that will be used to commit the horrors of genocide, war crimes, and deliberate attacks on civilians. The world must not rest until it is adopted."
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