Tanks, Artillery, Warships, Fall Under Landmark UN Global Arms Trade Treaty

The United Nations General Assembly recently for the first time approved a global arms trade treaty expected is to regulate the international trade in conventional arms, to reduce the risk of conflict and violence.

The treaty would set regulations in eight conventional arms categories: tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons.

The treaty would enter into force 90 days after being ratified by the 50th signatory. The treaty will open for signing in June.

The treaty will not interfere with domestic arms commerce or the right to bear arms in the member states, the U.N. Office for Disarmament Affairs said in a U.N. release. It will also not ban the export of any type of weapon, harm a state’s legitimate right to self-defense or undermine national arms regulation standards already in place.

The treaty was part of a General Assembly resolution, an action taken after a conference on the Arms Trade Treaty reached no agreement among all 193 members at the end of a two-week session. For the resolution, the assembly only needed a simple majority.

North Korea, Iran and Syria voted against the resolution, 154 countries voted in favor, and 23 nations abstained.

The independent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s March 18 report on arms exporters finds that China has bumped the United Kingdom to move into fifth place in the list of five largest arms export suppliers from 2008-20012.

 The top five were the United States, Russia, Germany, France and China. It is the first time since 1950, and the first change in the top five for two decades, SIPRI said.

Daryl Kimball, executive director the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said:  “The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) represents an important, historic step forward in dealing with the unregulated and illicit global trade in conventional weapons and ammunition, which fuels wars and human rights abuses worldwide…The United States played a key role in shaping this historic global Arms Trade Treaty. Now, President Obama can help build support for the treaty and move it closer toward entry into force by agreeing to be among the first world leaders to sign the pact.”

The treaty also would prohibit the export of arms, ammunition, weapons parts and components if the state knew the transfer could result in such things as attacks against civilians or war crimes.