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Restrict Arms Sales and Transfers

1994 General Resolution

BECAUSE Unitarian Universalists covenant to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and

WHEREAS there are profound questions about the ethics and legality of arms sales and transfers, particularly under conditions of war or conflict;

WHEREAS the United States is the world's largest weapons purveyor; and

WHEREAS the United Nations Security Council has established a Register on Conventional Arms and a number of countries are reporting arms sales and transfers;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association urges the United States government to enact and abide by a policy of arms restraint requiring the United States to refrain from selling or giving weapons to any government that:

abuses human rights;
initiates aggression against either its own people or other nations; or
undermines international efforts to control arms;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association urges the United States government to seek agreements from other nations to enact and abide by similar policies of arms restraint; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association calls for prohibiting United States foreign economic aid from being used for the purchase of weapons;

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Unitarian Universalist Association urges the United States government to develop and implement strategies to phase out the economy's reliance on the sale and transfer of arms.

Last updated on Tuesday, March 27, 2007.