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30 October 2012

STRUGGLE FOR AN ARMS CONTROL TREATY CONTINUES 



Following the failure of UN delegates to reach consensus and agree an Arms Trade Treaty in July, the focus of the Control Arms campaign shifted to the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security session of the UN General Assembly which due to take place from 8 October–6 November which will decide when and how the next round of treaty negotiations will take place.

Control Arms is advocating that States base future negotiations on the existing draft treaty text, but also that they aim to strengthen it in several key areas.  The coalition also advocates for any subsequent negotiations to be held under  UN General Assembly Rules of Procedure. This means that states have to strive for consensus, but lacking that can take decisions by vote, thereby preventing any one state, or a very small group of states, from blocking the majority will for a robust treaty.

Throughout the negotiations in July there was majority support for the Arms Trade Treaty to cover all conventional arms including ammunition, and to be based around tough rules on international human rights and humanitarian law. In the final hours of negotiations consensus was procedurally blocked by the United States, Russia, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela who all asked for more time.


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