LONDON, June 22 (UPI) -- Members of the Group of Eight wealthy nations are continuing to sell arms to abusive regimes, a report published Wednesday claims.
G8 weapons have been exported to countries including Sudan, the Republic of Congo, the Philippines and Colombia, where they have been used to abuse human rights, according to the Control Arms Campaign, a coalition of organizations including Oxfam and Amnesty International.
The report has been timed to coincide with the G8 meeting of foreign ministers in London Thursday, where a British proposal for an International Arms Trade Treaty will be discussed.
Irresponsible arms exports are undermining efforts at poverty reduction, human rights and stability, the report says.
Oxfam's Simon Grey said the campaign was not calling for a ban but a "responsible arms trade," and had the backing of the British Defense Manufacturers' Association.
He told BBC News, "We're calling for tough controls on the arms trade so that the number of 500,000 people killed each year from armed violence can be reduced."
The coalition announced it would drive a one-ton tank through London Wednesday to deliver copies of the report to embassies of G8 nations.
