UN Arms Treaty blocked by Iran, N. Korea and Syria

Iran, North Korea and Syria in March 2013 have blocked the adoption of a UN arms trade treaty which is supposed to regulate the70-billion dollars conventional arms trade around the world.

The text of the first international treaty on arms trade needs support from all 193 UN member states for its approval.

Iran’s envoy to the United Nations Mohammad Khazaee asserted that Iran objected to the text of the treaty on several grounds, including that it would seek to curb weapons transfers to non-state groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah that Iran supports.

Iran, North Korea and Syria blocked passage of the proposed principles and rules to regulate exports of conventional weapons - from small arms and missile launchers to tanks, warships and attack helicopters, saying the sweeping draft treaty was flawed as it failed to ban weapons sales to rebel groups.

Arms trade treaty

The Arms Trade Treaty is a prospective multilateral treaty that is supposed to regulate the international trade in conventional weapons. The treaty was negotiated at a global conference under the auspices of the United Nations from July 2–27, 2012 in New York.

The treaty applies to transfers of battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large caliber artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, small and light weapons, while ammunition and parts and components are also brought under scrutiny.