GCSP Virtual Course on 'Building capacities for effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)'
From 14 to 16 April 2021, GCSP, with the financial support of Australia and Canada, organized a virtual basic training course on the main provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty and the implications of their implementation. The course attracted 50 participants from countries all over the world, mainly government officials with some participation from civil society and industry. This three-day virtual course included expert presentations, exercises, readings, videos, and a final test about the main provisions of the ATT and related instruments. This virtual training was the concentrated version of the in-person course that the GCSP hosts in Geneva every year since 2014.
The project ‘Building Capacities for Effective Implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)’ has been implemented by GCSP since 2014 and received funding for multiple project phases from the United Nations Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR) as well as other donors. The project aims to increase the knowledge base of participating individuals on the implications of ATT provisions and of relevant existing practises of, and options for, their effective implementation to transfer information and expertise back to States. The project includes week-long five-day training courses (in English in Geneva, in French in Africa and most recently Spanish) for practitioners from governments active in the implementation of the ATT. The courses seek to improve the capacity of governments and individuals to implement the Treaty and establish a community of practitioners to continue information and experience exchanges as well as mutual assistance in addressing the challenges of the ATT. Since 2014 the course has attracted over 450 participants.