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:

1. abuses human rights;
2. initiates aggression against either its own people or other nations; or
3. 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.