The SPEAK Network is delighted that the Prime Minister Gordon Brown has at long last announced the closure of the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO), the UK government’s arms export promotion unit. The news follows a high-profile campaign by SPEAK, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR) for the closure of DESO, a Government unit whose purpose is to promote sales for private arms companies, despite being funded with taxpayers' money. SPEAK hopes that with the closure of DESO, the undemocratic power of arms companies in the UK will be brought to an end.

SPEAK, CAAT and FoR have long called for DESO’s push of weapons around the world to be ended. SPEAK began praying and campaigning into concerns about the impact of government support and promotion of the arms trade in 2003 with a focus on DESO’s work. In February 2004 over 250 people from the network gathered outside DESO’s offices in a prophetic prayer action which led to meetings with DESO itself and government ministers about our concerns. In March 2007 the three groups handed a petition to Government calling for the closure of DESO signed by 10,000 people including many Church leaders.

Whilst SPEAK believes that this is a significant step on the way to ending the arms trade – and the shocked reaction from BAE Systems and the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) to the closure indicates what a major step it is – the campaign to end British government support and promotion of the arms trade will of course continue. UK Trade and Investment will now take responsibility for military exports and campaigners have made it clear that they will closely monitor the implementation of this change so that military exports, which form less than 2% of total UK exports, do not use a disproportionate amount of the resources of this government department’s general trade support activities.

SPEAK Director Ben Gilchrist said “We have been gravely concerned about our government’s support for the arms trade which fuels conflict, impacts human rights and undermines development as many case studies and tragic stories show. We believe that the closure of DESO will have a real and significant impact in addressing this injustice. We await to see the details of what will happen after DESO closes but we are delighted that our message that pushing arms around the globe does not bring peace and security is finally being heard and we thank everyone who has supported this campaign.”

Ends

Notes
1. SPEAK is a network connecting together students and young adults to pray and campaign on issues of global injustice. Through bringing change to situations of injustice, we aim to share our faith in our all loving, all powerful creator: God.
2. SPEAK can provide further information about the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and the campaign for its closure.
3. Since February 2003, SPEAK supporters throughout the UK have prayed, campaigned and lobbied their MPs to call for DESO's closure. On 23rd February 2004 more than 250 members of the SPEAK Network gathered to pray and repent outside the DESO offices. On 16th October 2006 with CAAT and FoR campaigners peacefully encircled the DESO offices in central London. On 7th March 2007 the Treasury received a petition signed by over 10,000 people.
4. Photos of campaign events are available for print.
5. The Government's announcement on DESO can be read here.
6. SPEAK spokespeople are available for interview on this issue.