UN must act to end arms trade, says bereaved Scot

A MAN whose toddler son was shot dead in a cafe in Turkey has taken his campaign for a strong global treaty on the arms trade to the UN.

David Grimason has been campaigning for tighter controls on the trade of weapons since his two-year-old son Alistair was killed during a gunfight in the seaside village of Foca in July 2003. Alistair was asleep in his pram when an argument broke out at a nearby table and a man opened fire, killing the toddler.

Mr Grimason, from East Kilbride, travelled with Oxfam to the UN in New York on Saturday. He is attending the first six days of month-long final talks when the tone is set for detailed negotiations on arms trading.

The 40-year-old said: “We’ve waited so long for these final talks to get under way. The world has been calling for an Arms Trade Treaty for more than ten years and it’s now six years since the UN process got under way – they must now deliver.

“The delegates who have come here from around the world must understand the personal impact of arms and show the courage needed to make history. I am here because of what happened to my son Alistair, but I have also seen for myself the impact of arms around the world.

“For Alistair, and the other innocent victims, I urge the delegates meeting here to agree the strong treaty we all know is so urgently needed. There is no better chance to end the killing”.

Oxfam said one person dies every minute because of armed violence, with millions more injured and forced into poverty. The charity believe the problem is fuelled by poor regulation of global arms trade.

Mr Grimason joined campaigners from around the world at a stunt to mark the start of the final negotiations.