Terre des Hommes-appell at the Ministry of Economic Affairs: EU rules on arms exports must be strengthened with the new federal law
Osnabrück, 01.12.2022 - At a recent hearing of experts from civil society and industry, the child rights organization Terre des Hommes has asked the Federal Government to anchor the protection of children in the law and to create an association law. Terre des Hommes has published a statement on the key points of the law.
»We welcome the fact that the arms export control law should finally convert binding EU regulations from a common point of view to arms exports to a national law and thus strengthen. These include eight criteria that lead to rejection of export applications, such as the human rights situation or armed conflicts in the recipient country, «said Ralf Willinger of Terre des Hommes at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. »The law must ban weapon exports if children's rights are seriously violated in the recipient country. According to the UN Security Council, this includes killing, injury and kidnapping children, their recruitment as a soldier, sexual violence and attacks on hospitals and schools. «
Together with other actors from civil society, churches and science, Terre des Hommes demands anchoring an association law in the law: »Afterwards, as important as the law is a strict implementation. For this purpose, comprehensive transparency, control and sanction options are essential- in particular an association right, as has already proven practice in arms exports in many neighboring European countries, «continues Willinger. »Without this right, the law would be a toothless tiger. So far, the ministry rejects the integration of the association law, but pressure from the Bundestag and the public is now important. "
In several studies, Terre des Hommes and partners have shown that many children are dying or forced in war zones from German weapons than children's soldiers. For example, in the Yemen War, in which numerous children are abused as soldiers, at least 3550 children were killed by the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, mostly by bombing from the air. Rheinmetall bombs, tornado and Eurofighter combat jets and assault rifles were used by Heckler & Koch.
Terre des Hommes Germany EV was founded in 1967 to save war -injured children from Vietnam. Since then, the child rights organization has supported projects for children and adolescents in war zones, currently, for example in Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Sudan, Colombia, Brazil, Myanmar, India and Philippines.
More information:
- terre of the hommes position on the cornerstones of the arms export control law in the wording www.tdh.de/staltossahn
- Study: Small weapons in small hands-German arms exports violate children's rights www.tdh.de/ki study