UN to Hold Arms Trade Treaty Conference in March

The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly late Monday to hold a conference in March to try to reach agreement on a U.N. treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade.

A resolution approved by a vote of 133-0 with 17 abstentions will bring the 193 U.N. member states back to the negotiating table following their failure to reach agreement on a treaty in July.

Hopes of reaching a treaty in July were dashed when the United States said it needed more time to consider the proposed treaty — and Russia and China then also asked for a delay.

The draft treaty under consideration does not control the domestic use of weapons in any country, but it would require all countries to establish national regulations to control the transfer of conventional arms and to regulate arms brokers. It would prohibit states that ratify the treaty from transferring conventional weapons if they would violate arms embargoes or if they would promote acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

In considering whether to authorize the export of arms, the draft says a country must evaluate whether the weapon would be used to violate international human rights or humanitarian laws or be used by terrorists, organized crime or for corrupt practices.

Read more here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/hold-arms-trade-treaty-conference-march-18059156#.UN-QLXd3SgI

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