Defend International is alarmed by reports that Egypt is currently divided into opponents and supporters of Mr. Morsy. We are deeply concerned that Mr. Morsy is unwilling to respond to concerns of protesters and has rejected the military’s ultimatum. DI calls on the Egyptian leader to solve the country’s political crisis by taking steps aimed at addressing the concerns of protesters.
The Arms Trade Treaty
In June 2013, the full text of the historic Arms Trade Treaty was published by the UNODA. It is worth noting that the co-founder of Defend International, Dr. Widad Akreyi, helped pioneer this international agreement, which was adopted in April 2013 and entered into force in December 2014.
DI Marks World Refugee Day 2013
On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, held every year on June 20, Defend International welcomes this day and underscores the significant contributions of resettled refugees to their new communities. On this occasion, Dr. Widad pointed out that DI is investing all available resources to lobby distinguished decision-makers and politicians at various levels, urging them to contribute to the protection of civilians who had no choice but to flee their homes and livelihoods to avoid persecution and possible death.
NY: DI Calls for Legally-Binding Provision on Preventing Armed Gender-Based Violence in ATT
Defend International is calling on UN negotiators of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to include a legally-binding provision to prevent armed gender-based violence. This global call is aimed at maintaining the momentum created over the last seven years in favor for a strong and an effective Arms Trade Treaty so that the populations of the UN member state benefit from the current debate on the scope and objectives of such a treaty.