Toddler tragedy father at UN arms treaty talks
Channel 4 News reports from the UN on campaigning for an arms treaty and a British father marking the anniversary of the shooting death of his toddler son in Turkey.
David Grimason has been calling for tighter controls on the trade of weapons since his two-year-old son Alistair was killed during a gunfight at a cafe in the seaside village of Foca in July 2003.
The youngster was asleep in his pram when an argument broke out at a nearby table and a man opened fire, killing the toddler.
On the ninth anniversary of his son’s death, Mr Grimason will be at the United Nations in New York to push for tough, legally binding controls on the weapons trade.
It is the first time since Alistair died that Mr Grimason has not visited his child’s grave in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, on the anniversary of his death. But Mr Grimason said he had decided to campaign in New York instead, saying that lobbying for a strong treaty on the arms trade was “the biggest tribute I can give to Alistair”.
Mr Grimason, from East Kilbride, travelled to New York with Oxfam. According to the charity, one person dies every minute because of armed violence, with millions more injured and forced into poverty. Oxfam believes the problem is fuelled by poor regulation of global arms trade.
I hope by sharing what happened to Alistair, particularly on the anniversary of his death, will focus minds here on what they must deliver to try and prevent any more needless deaths. David Grimason
Talks on the issue got under way at the UN on Monday, with Mr Grimason, 40, attending the first six days of month-long discussions, when the tone is set for detailed negotiations on arms trading.
He said: “What happened will never leave me. I think about Alistair every day – about what he would be like, what he would be doing – and never more so than today. Every year since Alistair was killed I have visited his grave in East Kilbride on the anniversary but, this year, I have taken the decision to be at the United Nations instead.
“I am here to campaign for the strongest possible arms trade treaty. I think doing everything I can to push for a legally binding deal is the biggest tribute I can give to Alistair.
“I hope by sharing what happened to Alistair, particularly on the anniversary of his death, will focus minds here on what they must deliver to try and prevent any more needless deaths.”
Jamie Livingstone, Oxfam Scotland’s campaigns manager, said the charity was “humbled by David’s decision”.
He added: “It can’t have been an easy decision to come to New York at this time, but David is playing a key role in pushing for the sort of legally binding rules which will save lives.”
