Quakers welcome historic UN vote

Historic UN vote to adopt a treaty to control the trade in conventional arms

Quakers have welcomed the historic vote last week at the UN General Assembly to adopt a treaty to control the trade in conventional arms.  The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was passed on Tuesday 2 April by a huge majority. Member-states voted by 154 votes to three, with twenty-three abstentions, to control a trade worth £46bn annually.

The treaty prohibits states from exporting conventional weapons in violation of arms embargoes, or weapons that would be used for acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or terrorism. It also requires states to prevent conventional weapons reaching the black market.

The historic treaty has established a set of international standards to regulate conventional arms sales; reporting requirements providing some degree of transparency and accountability; and a forum to monitor the treaty and press for further progress.

The treaty went to a vote after Syria, Iran and North Korea blocked its adoption by consensus. Russia and China, two of the world’s biggest arms exporters, were among those who abstained.

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