What to expect from the UN’s Arms Trade Treaty
Australia was one of the first countries to sign the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty in New York today. In April, the first-ever global treaty to put gun trade under control was supported by 154 UN member states, with only North Korea, Iran, and Syria voting against the move. Although major gun selling states such as the US, UK, and France voted in favour of the treaty, Russia and China abstained. As the treaty is already passed by the UN General Assembly, the real challenge comes as it has to be ratified by at least 50 nations before going into effect.
However, experts believe that major arms importers and exporters are unlikely to fully commit to the new agreement. The US, world’s largest arms exporter, is experiencing ongoing internal lobbying to abstain from signing the treaty.