SIR — I am delighted to say that in its own small way Minehead has contributed to the establishment of an International Arms Trade Treaty after many years of difficult negotiations.

At last month's Amnesty International stall in the Avenue, over 100 people signed petitions to our MP and to the UK Government. These petitions pressed for a robust and watertight treaty to regulate the £46 billion arms trade.

As a result of this long-standing campaign, the UK representative actually played a leading part in the negotiations at the final conference at the UN in New York.

Although it was impossible to obtain a consensus vote (Iran, North Korea and Syria voted against), the UK and several other states then tabled the draft treaty for a majority vote by the UN General Assembly on April 2. This was overwhelmingly supported by 154 states, with 23 abstentions.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said that this was a victory for the world's people and a powerful tool in the fight to prevent human rights abuses.

Chris Wood,

Amnesty International Minehead Group.