At the first conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, in Cancun, Mexico (24-27 August), the International Committee of Red Cross says the irresponsible transfer of weapons is rife.
"What we see is an enormous availability of weapons to actors on the ground and these weapons cause enormous suffering.
People are dying; people are seriously wounded; hospitals are attacked; residential areas are attacked; schools are attacked.
At the present moment the discrepancy is still striking between the political commitments in the arms trade treaty and the actual behavior and ease with which arms are transferred to actors who obviously do not respect international law."
