Victoria University student Luke Roughton has made his mark on the global stage at the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) negotiations held in New York last month.
As Oxfam New Zealand’s Control Arms Coordinator, Roughton has been in involved in negotiating a legally binding treaty to regulate the global trade in conventional weapons. Along with representatives from other non-government organisations (NGOs), the 21-year-old’s mission has been to address the “devastating” impact of the irresponsible trade in arms.
“The voices of NGOs are the voices of the victims of armed violence,” says Roughton. “Without hearing these viewpoints… states may fail to achieve the ATT that is so badly needed.”
Concentrating particularly on how conventional small arms and light weapons impinge on sustainable development in the Pacific region, Roughton is focused on protecting the livelihoods of those closer to home.
This year Roughton will continue his degree in Law (Hons.), Political Science and International Relations.
He will return for more formal ATT negotiations in 2012.